Allmom AU
by cwrook
Summary: Following the Kamino Ward Incident and U.A's shift to an all-dorm system, Inko Midoriya requests that she meet weekly with one of Izuku's teachers to be kept up-to-date on his studies and especially his wellbeing. All Might, having a lighter courseload than his fellow teachers, and being one of Izuku's closest mentors, volunteers for the job. Spoilers prior to season 3 episode 12.
1. 1 The Anxieties of Inko Midoriya

Allmom AU

Setup: So basically, this is an AU fanfiction of My Hero Academia which I'm tentatively calling the AllMom AU. The main story will remain unchanged from canon. The AU part is that, due to a few personal problems, Inko and Hisashi Midoriya divorced when Deku was seven, and though Hisashi calls occasionally and sends money to help support his son, he's not very involved in either Deku or Inko's life (huge change, right?).

Other than that, everything's happened pretty much the same, up to the end of the twelfth episode of season 3 of the anime. If you're interested in watching the show or haven't gotten caught up to that point, there are going to be some huge spoilers here, so you've been warned.

I'm starting this pretty sure it's going to be largely a fluff, romance, slice-of-life piece, though that could change, inspired by the events in the episode mentioned above. If that's your thing, read on, and I hope you enjoy.

Also, I haven't read any of the manga, so if you have and feel the need to send me any comments or messages, please refrain from spoiling upcoming events. I appreciate it.

Also also, I'll try to update weekly, but since school's starting up later this month, things might get a bit hectic for a while. I'll do my best.

Also x3, I'd like to thank Ability King KK and detrametal for generously pointing out that my first attempt at posting this story was so full of computer jargon as to be unreadable. In my defense, I haven't used in a very long time. Thanks a bunch.

I'd also like to thank my (tolerable) beta reader kradeiz for going over this story with a fine-toothed comb. You made something good into something better, man.

1\. The Anxieties of Inko Midoriya

Inko looked up as the door to the conference room opened. She recognized Shouta Aizawa from Izuku's description, but the poor man looked like he could hold a week's worth of groceries in the bags under his eyes.

And then there was All Might. Even if her son hadn't been obsessed with him since he could talk, this skeletal shell of his former glory alarmed her. As he did all of Japan. She couldn't imagine what Izuku was going through.

Inko bowed. "Thank you for agreeing to see me," she said as they returned the gesture, and the three of them sat, "especially on such short notice."

"It's no trouble, Mrs. Midoriya," Aizawa said, setting a sheaf of papers to one side as he met her gaze. Inko felt a slight tension at the eye contact. "How can we help you?"

She looked between them, and took a small breath. "I know I have agreed to let Izuku continue his studies at U.A., and to stay in the dorms you have prepared for the students." All Might sucked in a breath, and Aizawa's eyebrow twitched. "But I would like to be kept up-to-date on the happenings around the school involving him."

All Might let out a rattling sigh. "We do send out a newsletter," Aizawa said, "listing all school events, and incidents of any kind are reported to the parents immediately."

"I know," Inko said, "and I know this is an inconvenience, but would it be possible to meet with one of his teachers, preferably one of you two, and discuss what's going on? He's so reckless, mutilating himself over and over, and I need to know the adults caring for him are doing their best to prevent that."

The two men exchanged a glance. "It should be me," All Might said. "You have nineteen others—"

"Eighteen," Aizawa said. "Mineta's family transferred him to an all-boys hero academy in Hokkaido. But my course-load and homeroom duties are still fairly heavy." He turned back to Inko. "There is a major security concern with issuing day-passes to parents, since they can be misplaced or stolen, and U.A. doesn't need another incident. Would it be acceptable if you met with All Might at a private location?"

Inko glanced back at All Might. He gave her something probably meant as a reassuring smile. "You have my address?" He looked startled.

"It might be best," Aizawa said, "since the homes of all our students are watched, and no one would be able to eavesdrop."

All Might nodded. "Alright then." He looked back at Inko. "Was there anything else?"

She shook her head. "No. Thank you."

"My pleasure," All Might said. He rose, as did Inko and Aizawa, after the latter collected his papers. "Oh!" All Might said as he opened the door, "I can pass sweets and things along to him, if you'd like, rather than them going through all the security checks."

"That would defeat the purpose of the checks," Aizawa said. Inko didn't have to see his face to know he was rolling his eyes.

"They would still be checked," All Might said, straightening up a bit, "but they'd be going through with me rather than as solitary packages."

"I appreciate it," Inko said, bowing as All Might held the door for her. "Thank you, both of you."

One Week Later

"You have no idea how loud your child is until he's out of the house," Mitsuki said as she sipped her bubble tea. "We're both still shaken up about how Katsuki was abducted. So's Katsuki, though he's hiding it."

"I don't know what I'd do if it'd been Izuku," Inko said. "He's been through enough."

Mitsuki looked pensive, an expression Inko had rarely seen in the many years of their friendship. "He's brave."

Inko smiled. "That's the problem. He gets involved in these heroics he can't quite handle yet. But he's fighting so hard, and I said I'd support him, and if I go back on my word it'll be just like when we thought he was Quirkless—"

Mitsuki set a hand over Inko's. It wasn't overly manicured, but nothing about Mitsuki wasn't elegant. Except sometimes her mouth.

"You're doing it again," Mitsuki said. "Let's change the subject."

"Are you sure venting isn't better?" Inko said.

"Well," Mitsuki said, removing her hand, "you do dwell on things, Inko. Most people vent to get something out of their system. You start venting and it builds on itself. Sometimes a bit of emotional distance is the best thing." Inko almost snorted into her tea. "What? When we had Katsuki, Masaru took some psychology classes, and I've picked some things up."

Inko nodded. Mitsuki was a kinder person than her presence suggested, but mentioning her husband was making her feel her own lack.

"How's the search going?" Mitsuki's question—accurate by coincidence or long experience—was gently asked.

Inko shook her head. After Mitsuki and a couple of Inko's other friends had set her up with some less-than-stellar matches, she'd tried some internet dating. It hadn't been bad—the guys she found had all been nice, and she'd even had some fun—but no sparks had been struck. "Maybe I should give up."

"It's your call," Mitsuki said, "but Izuku's going to be out of the house for a while. You might get lonely by yourself."

Inko ran a hand through her hair. She was already lonely, and the idea of her exuberant little boy leaving, even temporarily…

She forced a smile. "I'll make it work."

After they'd paid for lunch, and Mitsuki invited her over for tea whenever she wanted, Inko spent a short while people-watching in the park before going home. She didn't realize until she was unlocking the door she'd been humming the tune to a sad little song she knew very well the whole time.


	2. 2 Shared Passions

Before you continue, I'd like to thank the following for following my story: Ability King KK, Jonsey2.0, Kradeiz, kryodeamon, and mike166. The show of support, considering this is my first story on fanfiction for a _very_ long time, is much appreciated, and I hope my story exceeds your expectations.

2\. Shared Passions

Toshinori pressed the doorbell, his briefcase in his left hand. It was a quiet neighbourhood, with the river and park on the other side of Young Midoriya's apartment complex. Toshinori wondered what mischief his pupil had gotten up to there.

The door opened. Mrs. Midoriya was dressed nicely but not formally, which was refreshing; Toshinori endured public appearances for the public's sake, but he'd never liked being fawned over and flattered in private. Her bow was a bit formal and trembly, but there was an honesty in it so much like her son's it made Toshinori smile.

"W-welcome to our home!" Mrs. Midoriya said. "Please come in!" He suspected her voice was an octave higher than normal.

"Thank you," Toshinori said, returning her bow. He was relieved to see Young Midoriya's door closed; he could only see the All Might-themed name plaque on the door.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" Mrs. Midoriya said. There was a pleasant smell from the kitchen that warmed Toshinori's chest. Papers were spread over the dining room table.

"Just tea, if you have some on," Toshinori said, taking the chair she pulled out for him.

"I'm sorry about the state of the dining area," Mrs. Midoriya said as she bustled around in the kitchen, utensils floating to her at a gesture. "I work from home as an accountant, so things spread a bit while I work."

"It's fine," Toshinori said. "Homes are made to be lived in. My own is a bit spartan."

"Oh?" Mrs. Midoriya said. There was a gentle clatter of dishes being put away, and then she grew in height as she mounted a step to put away some cups on the top shelf.

"I hadn't much time to sit around enjoying it until a few years ago," Toshinori said. He saw Mrs. Midoriya hesitate, heard the question she wanted to ask. "Would you like some help?"

"Oh, no no," Mrs. Midoriya said, "I'm fine. My Quirk only pulls objects toward me; I can get something up off a high shelf with no trouble, but putting it back is more challenging."

Toshinori nodded. "Every Quirk has its drawbacks." Another question. Toshinori was glad she didn't ask that one either. "He is doing well, by the way," he said, opening the briefcase, struggling to pop the right-hand latch with his left hand.

"Oh, please, All Might," Mrs. Midoriya said as her kettle began to whistle, "wait until you've had some tea at least." She started. "Oh! Unless you're busy and need to be somewhere quickly!"

He shook his head, pushing his long hair out of his face. "Not tonight. I set aside extra time in case this took longer than expected."

"Thank you! Again," she bowed, and Toshinori had to smile; Young Midoriya screwed up his face the exact same way.

She brought out two ornate tea cups and a matching pot, black porcelain with green and red pheasants.

Toshinori took his, and his hand slipped, splashing tea over the table.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" they both said, scrambling to clean up the mess. Toshinori pulled away some tea-stained forms, and lifted the partly-soaked newspaper so Mrs. Midoriya could wipe up the mess. Toshinori chuckled.

"Yes?"

"That was a cardio workout, wasn't it?" he said, setting the papers down on the towel.

Mrs. Midoriya gave a nervous laugh, and noticeably relaxed. She looked a bit flushed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to—" Toshinori glanced at the newspaper, and noticed something he'd missed. "Oh, are you a fan of Kimeru-chan? You cut her haiku out of the paper this week." She flushed more. "Sorry! I mean, I am too, I just find her poems very lovely, and when she sang twenty-five or thirty years ago—"

" _You're_ a fan of Kimeru-chan?" Mrs. Midoriya looked flabbergasted.

"Well," Toshinori could feel a flush creeping up his own neck, "she influenced me at a rough time in my life." His smile felt incredibly sheepish. "Her urging for action and helping the disadvantaged inspired me. I'm not sure it would've even occurred to me to become the Symbol of Peace without her." A thought sprang into his mind, and he pulled a small, well-worn book out of his pocket. "I have a copy of her first collection of song lyrics and poems here." He smiled. "You can barely make out 'The Lonesome Night' anymore, I've read it so many times."

" _The doe walks alone,"_ Mrs. Midoriya began.

" _Eyes twitching at each rustle,"_ Toshinori said.

" _As the wolves draw close,"_ Mrs. Midoriya finished.

There was a moment of quiet as they finished reciting. "They were the days before you came along," Mrs. Midoriya said. "We knew society was corrupt, but trying to organize and create change for the better was hard."

Toshinori nodded. "And dangerous." He gave a small smile. "Her poems are lovely, but her songs… every time I listen to them, I find something new."

The rest of his visit, discussing Young Midoriya and Kimeru-chan, passed in a warm glow Toshinori knew, when he stepped outside, he hadn't felt for a long time.

(same night)

Inko sighed, and let the tears start rolling out. He liked Kimeru-chan! She did a little sort of hopping dance in the sitting area until she was out of breath.

She hummed all through her shower and other evening ablutions, and her sudoku. On a whim, as she was changing for bed, she did her exercises. Things were stiffer than the last time she'd done them. But then, that'd been long before Izuku was born.

(a few days later)

"All Might?" Toshinori started. Young Midoriya was giving him a curious look. As were a couple of other students.

"What is it, Young Midoriya? We were just about to start your Search and Retrieve training." He pulled the instructions out of his pocket.

"What was that tune you were humming?"

"Who cares!" Young Bakugou said from the back of the group. "Let's just get started, Deku!"

"It sounded lovely," Young Uraraka said, ignoring her volatile classmate.

Toshinori chuckled. "Can each of you remember when the drive to become a hero first started moving within you?" There were a few nods and affirmatives; Young Midoriya's was especially forceful. "That song was the moment that drive started moving within me. Japan was a turbulent country when I was young, with crime and violence rampant. When I heard that song for the first time, something in me I had never known was there came to the surface." _You could say All Might was born that day._ "I had wanted to change this country for years. That was when I realized I could to do it as a hero."

Toshinori almost smiled as Young Midoriya's eyes got shiny.

"So, you had strength and speed like the world has never seen," Young Asui said, "and _no one_ suggested becoming a hero to you?"

"That does seem like a glaring oversight," Young Tokoyami said.

Young Midoriya's almost-crying switched to almost-sweating. Toshinori held up a hand. _Don't worry,_ Toshinori thought, _Enough people have tried to find out about my Quirk that I know how to deflect._ "It was more my state of mind than anything," he said. "I had accidents trying to figure out my Quirk when I was young, so I set it aside." _I won't say_ how _young I was._ "By the time I heard that song, I may as well have been Quirkless. But afterward, something clicked."

"Oh!" Young Kirishima punched his palm and looked at Young Bakugou. "Like that time you told me about when you were six and almost blew off your nose!" He hardened just in time to render Young Bakugou's explosion harmless.

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone, dumbass!" The rest of the class was already laughing. Young Midoriya winked at Toshinori. Toshinori winked back.

"All Might Sensei," Young Yaoyorozu said as the laughter died down.

"Yes?"

"What was the song called?"

" 'Remember the Sun'," Toshinori said. "By Kimeru-chan, the idol, who was twelve when she recorded it. Anyone reasonably young at the time would know it."


	3. 3 Dinner and a Party

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: Beluguinha124, DiRunner, Last Storm Chaser, RedFistCannon, RightHandOfPalpatine, sb2282490, and WorldSpy. Once again, your new and continuing support is appreciated, and I'll try not to disappoint you.

3\. Dinner and a Party

When Inko opened the door, All Might was crouched over, petting a small calico with white paws. "This one is friendly," he said.

"She's Nattoko, my neighbour's," Inko said. "She's always been a people cat."

Nattoko rubbed All Might's bony hand once more before flopping over on the step like she owned it.

"I hope your journey was nice," Inko said, closing the door as All Might put on slippers too small for him.

"Uneventful," he said. "I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, now my retirement's had a chance to sink in." He glanced at Inko. "Sorry. I shouldn't be adding my worries to yours."

"It's okay," Inko said. "Oh, your arm's out of its cast."

"Mm-hmm," All Might said, flexing elbow and wrists. "Recovery Girl gave me a healing today, so I'm much healthier, but a bit tired."

"Ask her what desserts she likes," Inko said, leading him to the sitting area; the table was clear this time around. "She's healed Izuku enough, it's the least I can do."

All Might chuckled as he took a seat. "I'll be sure to ask. She's fixed me up a few times too."

Inko was relieved to note that her pulse, still well above normal, was noticeably lower than last time All Might had visited. "Would you like anything? I worked a bit late today, so I'm just starting supper."

"Oh, no thank you," All Might said. "Just tea if you were putting some on."

"I hope you like jasmine."

"Jasmine would be nice." All Might was silent a moment. Inko chanced a glance over his shoulder. He had the book out again.

"I'll be back in a moment," Inko said, trying to keep the half-smug, half-giddy tone out of her voice. She bustled to her office, returning moments later with a red hardcover volume embroidered with gold characters. She set it in front of All Might.

"What is—" and then his mouth fell open.

"A friend gave it to me years ago," Inko said. "A first edition collection of Kimeru-chan's songs and poems from the first decade of her career."

All Might ran his hands over the cover, gentle with reverence. "This is worth almost as much as my condo in Tokyo."

Inko snorted, and felt herself blush. "It can't be _that_ expensive!"

"You misunderstand," All Might said. "If it weren't the only home I had, I would trade you my condo for this book."

Inko shuffled her feet. "Do you… would you like to borrow it?"

All Might goggled at her like a child given a Christmas present a month ahead. "Can I really?"

Inko smiled, her fingers twitching. "I can give you a cover and bag to carry it in so it doesn't get damaged."

He jumped up. "Thank you!" he said, bowing so low his hair brushed the floor.

Inko smiled. "You're looking after my son while he's at school. That's worth more than any book."

They talked for a long while after that. All Might had read more than just Kimeru-chan, it turned out; naturally, he'd read a lot of classic Western authors and philosophers, like Homer, Virgil, Cervantes, Tolkien and Steinbeck, but he'd also read a number of authors of Japanese literature, including Asai Ryoi, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Fujiwara no Akisue, and Fumiko Hayashi, among others. His ability to communicate the finer nuances of their work left a little to be desired, but the enthusiasm he clearly felt for such vaunted writers was as infectious as it was unexpected.

And he listened to her. Her own literary foundation was a bit different, but All Might clearly considered her observations with all seriousness.

Just as Inko's supper was ready, and All Might was insisting he wasn't hungry, Inko's hand slipped on a pot. It didn't hit the ground or spill, but the elaborate dance she performed to avert disaster had All Might laughing. Even as Inko set the pot down, the laughter changed to a wracking cough. He was covering his mouth, but even so Inko could see blood running between All Might's fingers.

She dampened a cloth and was at his side in a moment. "Are you alright? Do you want to go to the hospital? Have your wounds reopened?"

All Might shook his head, and the fit passed. "This has been going on for six years now," he said, catching his breath, "and the hospital has done what it can."

" _Six—_ this isn't from Camino Ward?"

"No." All Might took a wheezing but steady breath. "I fought that same villain six years ago, and thought I'd beaten him." He rubbed a hand over his side. "But even though I was in my prime, and could keep my muscle-form as long as I wanted, he hit me with an attack that destroyed my stomach, and badly damaged my lungs." His smile was a bit grim. "I was in pretty good shape in this form before that."

"I'm sorry," Inko said. "But you kept on fighting."

"I'm _still_ fighting," All Might said. "I've just had to change how I do it."

Inko felt the tears coming. "All Migh—"

"Toshinori."

"Pardon?" Inko cocked her head. All Might looked surprised. He gave himself a shake.

"My real name is Toshinori Yagi. You can… call me that, if you like."

Inko half-gasped, then nodded. "Does Izuku know about your injuries?"

Toshinori nodded. "It was shortly after he found out that I decided to start preparing him to be the next Symbol of Peace."

He told her about Izuku's progress in school as she ate her dinner. When he left, after her meal was long finished and his tea gone, Inko realized two things: the apartment grew a little colder once she closed the door behind Toshinori; but that was okay, because—she realized with a start—she felt a warmth that had been gone so long she'd thought it lost.

(the following evening)

"Well, somebody find it, then!" Bakugou was, surprisingly, getting impatient. Both hero classes were throwing a housewarming party for the first-years in honour of their opening the dorms. Kendo was keeping Monoma in line, and Bakugou was behaving himself—sort of—so things were running pretty smoothly. Ochako was enjoying herself. They even had permission for the karaoke machine Jiro had access to.

"I'm trying to!" Hatsume said, thumbing down a list of search results on what may once have been a smartphone, "but 'Remember the Sun' was so stupid popular it has six covers."

"Why are you here, again?" Ochako said, trying not to sound rude, but being honestly curious what could've pulled Hatsume Mei from her tinkering.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" Hatsume replied, oblivious to potential rudeness.

"Hold on!" Yaoyorozu said, looking at her own phone. "The original was written and sung by the idol Kimeru-chan twenty-nine years ago. Do we want to try that one?"

"Yes!" Bakugou said, with varying levels of agreement across the room.

"The full song's about six minutes, so don't pull up an abridged version," she added.

"In the meantime," Ashido said as she scrolled through the menu on the karaoke machine, "Let's crush some tunes!" She put on, who knew why, what Ochaco was pretty sure was a tango.

"Bakugou!" Kirishima bellowed over the music.

"What!"

"Dance with me!" He hardened his hand around Bakugou's wrist. In spite of, or maybe because of the explosions Bakugou kept throwing in Kirishima's face, the resulting tango was hands-down the weirdest, manliest thing Ochako had ever seen.

"Punch?" Ochako's pulse jumped as Deku sidled up with a tray of drinks on one hand.

"Sure," Ochako said, taking the one. Iida and Tsu-chan beside her also took a cup each. "Thanks."

"I still can't believe we're _living_ at U.A. now," Deku said, watching the party start up. "It feels surreal. In a good way!"

"My mother and father took a bit of convincing," Iida said, "but I think… what happened with the Hero Killer…"

The trio listening nodded. "How is your brother?" Ochako asked almost too quietly to be heard.

Iida sighed. "I have accepted what happened to him, Uraraka. And though part of me wanted to keep going to the hospital after school to visit him, we talked, and he said the best I could do for him was make myself the best hero I can be." Iida smiled; Ochako thought it was a bit forced. "He's been off life support for a week, and is hoping they will let him in a wheelchair soon. He looks a lot better now."

"He's got engines on his arms, right?" Tsu-chan asked. Iida nodded. "Little kids would love to sit on his lap while he blasts around at high speed."

Ochako was glad Iida started laughing before she did; the image broke the tension. "Thanks, Tsu-chan."

Tsu-chan shrugged. "I was thinking of my little brother and sister. I'm not going to see them much for a while now." Ochako gave her hand a squeeze; Tsu-chan squeezed back.

"I hope Mom's adjusting well to an empty apartment," Deku said.

"I'm already kind of used to living on my own, I guess," Ochako said, "since I have to live away from home to come here, dorm or no dorm." She half-laughed. "I'll have to get used to living with people again."

"People are alright," Hatsume said as she continued searching on her… phone? "But machines are _much_ more interesting! Speaking of—Iida?"

"No!"

"I have a favour to ask."

"Never!"

"Can I—"

"I refuse!"

"—have a look at your engines?"

"I… what!" Iida's face turned redder than an angry tomato.

"I want to see if I can reverse-engineer the mechanism, and in return, I can probably enhance your engines' radiator and extend your Recipro-burst." She knelt, holding her phone(?) over her heart. "Iida Tenya, will you make me the happiest woman in the world, and be my next baby's daddy?"

Ochako hit the floor, she was laughing so hard. Deku spat punch all over the place, and Tsu-chan was leaning against the wall. "You could do worse, Iida-chan."

Iida was spared any need to reply by Hatsume's device pinging and her shouting to the room, "I found it!"

The general hubbub died down, and the group collected itself. "Hook it up!" Ashido shouted from the karaoke machine. "Let's hear what All Might throws down to!"

Everyone crowded closer.

"I wonder," Deku said as he stood just close enough to raise Ochako's heart rate, "what kind of song would inspire All Might." He turned to her. "What do you think?"

"Oh, I don't know," Ochako said, feeling like she was clutching at straws, "something big and epic, maybe."

"He's a bit of a goof under all the power," Tsu-chan said, "and it was an idol who wrote and sang it. I bet it's a really happy j-pop song."

The recording buffered for a moment. Then silence. Silence.

And the first notes sounded as an invisible hand picked at the strings of a violin. Then, as the liquid silver of bow sliding across strings began, the voice of a woman—hadn't All Might said a _twelve-year-old_ sang this?—filled the room.

Her words were sad, her voice sadder, for the first three verses; Ochako swore Kimeru-chan was crying. In the fourth verse, something changed, like a rock falling through water striking a steel bottom. And making a spark. Ochako hadn't realized she was crying, but the fourth verse claimed there was more than sadness, the fifth how to find it, and the sixth verse hit Ochako so hard she thought a literal star must have formed in the room. All from a voice and a violin.

The final note of the song did not quaver, but swelled from voice and string with such force Ochako thought her heart would burst.

And then it was over.

Mind blank, Ochako looked to her left. Unsurprisingly, tears were pouring down Deku's face, but he was far from the only one. Even though he was one of few not crying, Bakugou looked pensive, which was a first.

Deku was the first to say something, so quiet Ochako thought she hadn't heard right.

"That was amazing!" Kirishima said even as he blew his nose and handed a box of Kleenex to Tetsutetsu, who was bawling beside him.

"No wonder All Might found this so inspiring!" Yaoyorozu said from beside the snack table. After that the whole room filled with exuberant noise over what they'd just heard.

Deku hadn't moved. Ochako leaned closer. "Deku?" No response. She gave him a little poke in the arm. He jumped.

"Sorry! What?"

"Did you say something just now?" Ochako said, trying to make herself heard.

"I don't think so," Deku shook his head. "I wonder what Kimeru-chan's doing now?"

Ochako cocked her head as Deku went to get some cloths to clean up the punch he'd sprayed. Considering what she thought he'd said, it was understandable for him to be acting a bit shell-shocked right now.

 _Mom?_


	4. 4 Advice and Honesty

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: BlackDQHero, Dreemurr009, Red-Wing2018, Ridward441, ZephyrStrike, blueanchor92, pjmpa, and .1.

Just a notice to everyone, this is probably the last week I'll be putting up two chapters. From now on, it'll be one on Sunday or Monday, whichever's more convenient for me. Also, I'm putting up chapters on my tumblr, under "#allmom au", under my same username, cwrook, in case that's more convenient for anyone. Enjoy!

4\. Advice and Honesty

"Yo, All Might!" Toshinori jumped as Present Mic caught his attention.

"Sorry," he said, stifling a well-timed yawn, "I haven't been sleeping well."

"Understandable," Midnight said, stifling one herself, "no one's slept soundly since Kamino Ward. But we're reviewing new security measures for the school, so we need to pay attention, as we'll be passing updated security cards on to our students, and will need to explain how they work."

Toshinori nodded. Truthfully, lack of sleep was only part of the equation. As the meeting ended and he packed up to leave, he contemplated the fact that he was thinking about Young Midoriya's mother far more than his responsibilities entailed.

She and Young Midoriya were charming in many of the same ways, but after four meetings with her, Toshinori found himself anticipating them not as duties to fulfill, nor as a way to help his pupil, but more and more because he enjoyed Mrs. Midoriya's company. Once the worst of her nerves were gone, she proved to be clever, funny, and charismatic in a gentle, self-deprecating way.

As he walked to the terminal Toshinori thought that while he had a number of close friends, who knew more of him than the skeletal body he'd kept in the closet, his feelings toward _them_ were different than the warmth in his hands and chest just now.

"I didn't know you took this train." Toshinori looked over at Present Mic, who was standing beside him. A number of curious, admiring looks were aimed their way. He hardly remembered getting on the train.

"I'm on my way to a meeting with a student's parents," Toshinori said quietly.

"Ah." Present Mic shifted his weight as the train lurched forward.

"Question." Toshinori kept his voice low.

"Yes?" Mic leaned closer.

"How does one romance a beautiful woman?"

Mic almost fell over. "Wha?"

"You're a well-respected, charismatic hero," Toshinori said. "I thought you would be good to ask."

"I'm flattered, All Might," Mic said, bringing his voice back down, "but haven't you—you know…"

"Not since my previous injury," Toshinori said. Mic nodded at the sense in that. "And those were… different."

"The Symbol of Peace making love, not war? The scandal," Mic said.

"I'm as human as the next man," Toshinori said, "and things were always discreet. Now, advice?"

"I'm kinda surprised you haven't noticed, but also not really," Mic said; he was half-laughing.

"Noticed..?"

"Me," Mic said it very slowly, "And Shouta."

"Oh." The light snapped on. "Oh!"

"He's a lucky man, right?"

Toshinori laughed. "Of course. I'm happy for both of you."

"Shh!" Mic held up a finger. "Let's keep our private lives private." He looked at the rest of the passengers. "You never know who's a reporter and who isn't."

Toshinori nodded. "So I guess I'm on my own, then."

Mic shrugged. "Maybe just talk to her about it. If the interest's mutual, you can find out together if it's more than superficial." He gave Toshinori a smile that wasn't condescending. "Never know if you don't ask."

Toshinori nodded. "Thanks, Mic."

"Any time." He looked at his phone. "Shouta's gonna love this."

"But—!"

"Private life," Mic said. "Shouta won't tell anyone, he hates the media, remember? Besides, he's a sucker for a cheesy romance."

Toshinori's eyebrows flicked up. "Never struck me as the type."

"He's an onion," Mic said with a shrug. "I had to peel back one layer at a time to get to the sweet man underneath. Don't tell him I told you any of this."

Toshinori laughed again. "Don't tell him about my private life."

"Blackmail?" Mic smiled and held up a fist. Toshinori bumped it. "There's hope for you."

(later that evening)

"I swear Nattoko sits by my door just so you can pet her," Inko said as she let him in.

"I always thought I was a dog person," Toshinori said. He gave her a second look. "You let your hair down."

"I did." Inko ran a self-conscious hand through it. "What do you think?"

"I—I think it looks lovely both ways!" Colour started creeping into his face. "Should we—I mean you—supper?"

 _Am I_ _making All Might_ nervous?Inko stifled a giggle. "Actually," she said, "I was hoping you could eat with me." She held up a hand to stifle his protests. "When you said you lost your stomach in that fight six years ago, I wondered if perhaps a proper meal was the reason you wouldn't eat dinner. So," she showed him to a plainly yet neatly set table with two soup bowls and a pot, "I wondered if some beef broth would be better. If you can't, I can always make soup for tomorrow's lunch."

Toshinori ran a hand through his own hair. "Thank you." He smiled. "I'd be delighted to join you."

Toshinori's eyes lit up when he tasted it, and he dwelled on each spoonful, savoury and hot. "I have been served many fine meals over the years, by many incredible chefs," he said shortly after starting in, "But there is something in this they've never equaled."

"Thank you," Inko said, sipping her own. "I try to put my heart into what I do, and it can make up for what I lack in technique and ingredients." Toshinori hesitated, then seemed to think better of something. "What?"

"There an English saying: 'The secret ingredient is love'. I think it means much the same thing." Toshinori put one hand in his lap, while taking another spoonful of soup with the other. Was… was his hand shaking?

"Are you alright?"

He started when she spoke. "Yes," he said without hesitation. "I am very alright." He looked down, then back up. "I told Young Midoriya about our meetings over lunch today."

"Oh?" Inko leaned back. "I didn't know it was a secret."

Toshinori shrugged. "It just didn't come up. Besides, he is fifteen, and my student; I don't have to tell him everything. And your concerns are very reasonable… considering his choice of career."

Inko felt her eyes get a bit watery.

"I'm sorry!" Toshinori said, rising from his seat.

"No," Inko said, dabbing at her eyes. "It's just… U.A. felt more closed before, almost like it was hiding something, and I wasn't getting told everything I should have. And with his injuries and these incidents…"

A large, clammy hand enveloped hers. "Mrs. Midoriya—"

"Inko."

"Pardon?"

She sniffed. "You can call me Inko, if you like."

A tremulous smile spread across Toshinori's face. "Inko, when your son and I first met, I told him he shouldn't be a hero."

"Wh… what?" This was news.

"He asked me if a Quirkless kid could be a hero, and I told him if he was determined to help people, he should be a police officer, a much safer profession. But in the incident with the sludge villain and Young Bakugou, he rushed in without hesitating." Toshinori smiled. "If he hadn't acted, Young Bakugou might no longer be with us." Toshinori closed his eyes. "In the ten months between that incident and the U.A. entrance exam, I gave him every chance to abandon his dream, and gave him a workout many grown men would balk at. I drilled into him all the dangers a hero must face. He's kept going through all that. I don't think anything could turn him away from this, Inko. So, knowing I can't stop him, I am going to guide him with everything I have, and protect him like my own son."

Inko took a moment before she spoke. "He had days last year when he'd wake up so stiff he could hardly move. And he started exercising. _And_ he gave me that menu. That was you?"

Toshinori nodded. "If his dream to be a hero had been weak, he would've given in and pursued something else. But he didn't, and now he's gaining control of his power."

"He still injured himself on the camping trip."

Toshinori nodded again. "The students were ordered to flee and only use their Quirks defensively, but he went to find the small cousin of the hero Mandalay and bring him to safety, but a powerful villain found them. That villains could find the camp at all was our fault. We are taking responsibility for that and learning from our mistakes. Even so, Young Midoriya was up against an opponent who could've held his own against even me. If he hadn't used power strong enough to damage himself like that…" He looked at her face. "Sorry."

"No," Inko said. "You're being honest with me. That's what you're supposed to be." She felt a tear squeeze from the corner of her eye. "Thank you." She sniffed again, and uproariously blew her nose.

They discussed smaller things long after supper was finished. It grew dark, and as Toshinori was getting ready to leave and Inko was showing him to the door, He turned to face her. He took a deep breath.

"Toshinori?" She steeled herself for his answer.

He started. "Yes?"

Before her anxiety took over completely, she spoke. "Would you like to have dinner at a restaurant sometime?"

There was a moment of perfect silence. Even the noise of the neighbourhood outside was absent. Inko found she couldn't breathe.

Toshinori took a step forward and, with a tentativeness she wouldn't have thought All Might capable of, took her hand.

"Yes." He squeezed it, and, too soon, let go.

Inko was so surprised she didn't even open or close the door for him. She didn't remember she could move until incoherent sounds of his jubilation came from outside. Then one of her neighbours shouted to keep it down, Toshinori apologized, and his celebrations quieted and faded away.

That was when Inko started to move. She cried and laughed and danced long after he'd left.


	5. 5 Dating Tips and Musical Education

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: Engineer of Epicness, Melancholy's Sunshine, WisdomDragon27, biggdelta7, frenchfishy, meme911, and wildtrance.

Once again, this is the last week I'll be doing two installments; school's on, and I'm waiting for the other combat boot to drop. Also, I'm putting up chapters on my tumblr, under "#allmom au", under my same username, cwrook, in case that's more convenient for anyone. Enjoy!

5\. Dating Tips and Musical Education

"You," Mitsuki said as the waiter left with their orders, "look like a cat in a barrel of cream."

"Do I?" Inko couldn't stop grinning.

"Who is he?" Inko flushed scarlet. "Oh god, that was a joke! I thought you found a coupon book for Donki on the train or something!" Mitsuki's smile returned. "Do I know him?"

Inko twirled her finger in her hair. "I don't think so." _Although you probably_ met _him when the teachers met with parents to discuss the dorms. But_ meeting _and_ knowing _are two different things._

"Okay," Mitsuki said, dropping that thread, "what's he do?"

"He's a bit older than me, so he's on the verge of retiring," Inko said, "but he's worked for the government for years."

"Oh yeah? He's probably got great benefits, then," Mitsuki said with a wink.

"Mitsuki!" Inko said as her friend laughed.

"Just teasing," Mitsuki said as the waiter came back with two cups and a pot of hot water. "So what's he like?"

"He's tall and thin," Inko said, "and his hair's a bit messy." Inko smiled, pouring her tea and drawing circles in it with her stir-stick, "He's well-educated, and kind. And when we talk about this writer or that philosopher, he listens like I'm a university professor. He's a bit bumbling, but it just makes him more charming."

"Inko," Mitsuki said, sipping her tea, "this guy sounds too good to be true. How long have you known him?"

"I know a couple people who've known him for a while, now," Inko said, "but we've only really known each other for about a month."

"And you're head over heels." Mitsuki leaned closer. "Does Izuku know?"

That brought Inko up short. "Well," she fidgeted, "he _does_ know him, and likes him." _Biggest understatement I've ever made._ "But he doesn't know I'm seeing him yet."

Mitsuki nodded. "You know, that's probably for the best. And it works out well with this whole dorm arrangement."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you have a chance to find out if this guy is worth keeping before involving him in your son's life. If he's not, you can split things off, and Izuku doesn't have to get hurt again."

Inko thought with a pang about Hisashi, how Izuku had blamed himself because he thought his father didn't want a Quirkless son. There'd been a few reasons they'd split, and it'd been Inko's guilt about Izuku rather than Izuku himself that'd contributed to their divorce—but it probably exacerbated Izuku's anxious nature.

"That's a good point," Inko said, "but I'm not a teenager who doesn't know what's up or down. I'm sure he's being honest with me, and I won't let Izuku get hurt."

"I know," Mitsuki said. "You're a good mom and a smart, hard-working woman. This guy'd be an idiot to screw this thing up."

(at some point during the same week)

"Let me see if I've got this right," Midnight said, adjusting her glasses, "you, All Might, have found a beautiful, charming woman you're just starting a romance with, and you want _my_ advice on what women want so you don't screw this thing up?"

Toshinori nodded. "Present Mic wasn't as much help as I'd hoped."

Midnight stopped short, and proceeded to laugh hysterically. "Well, of course he wouldn't—wait, did you not know? Never mind, you just made this worth it." She wiped a tear from her eye. "Well, I am happy for you, anyway." Her expression grew serious. "You do know the problems heroes, even the ones that aren't high-profile, can have with relationships, right?"

Toshinori nodded. "I thought about them long and hard before deciding to move forward on this."

"And it's compounded by the fact that you're slightly weaker than the average kitten now," Midnight said, gesturing for him to take a seat, "and the world knows it. Do you have countermeasures in place?"

"She's the single mother of one of my students," Toshinori said, taking the offered seat, "and so she and her house are being watched by police and school surveillance. If any villain were to try something, they'd face armed officers and heroes in minutes."

Midnight nodded. "That's not ideal, though better than it could be. Good, you've given her safety some thought." Midnight leaned forward. "So, the first rule of dating is this: Every woman is different."

Toshinori nodded, pulling out a notepad.

"You're actually writing this down?"

"I don't want to forget anything."

"You don't pay this much attention in _staff_ meetings."

"Of course I do," Toshinori said, writing down Midnight's first point, "but I'm in extremely unfamiliar territory."

Midnight sighed. "Fair enough. Anyway, different women have different likes and dislikes, so you have to pay close attention, listen to what she says, and observe her closely but not obtrusively, without being distracted by what you find attractive about her." She hesitated. "Out of curiosity, what kind of woman snared the heart of the Symbol of Peace?"

"She's well-educated, and kind, and funny." Toshinori smiled as he kept writing. "And there's steel in her. She spoke honestly to me, and wasn't afraid to stand up for her child."

Midnight hmphed in a "who knew?" sort of way. "The next thing you should know is this: While all women are different, on a fundamental level we want the same things. We want someone nice who treats us and the people we care about well, who's hard-working, and who treats us like equals."

Midnight gave him a number of other helpful, more detailed pointers before they both had to leave for the day. As they were both heading for the station, she said quietly, "I never thought you of all people would be coming to me for relationship advice."

Toshinori shrugged. "Before this I'd never really considered the possibility of having a relationship. Too much to do, and too dangerous."

"It's always too dangerous," Midnight said. "We both know that. But you've been averting the misfortunes of Japan for a long time. Now that you can't directly, I think it's good that you're looking for a bit of your own happiness. It'll help you make others happy."

Toshinori thought about those last words while he was falling asleep that night. Making others happy, instead of protecting them from sadness. Could he do it, after all this time?

(after class, probably Wednesday or Thursday)

"Mic Sensei?"

Said Sensei looked up from the English papers he was grading. "Ah, loyal listeners, come in," he said. Ochako, Tsu-chan, Jiro and Yaoyorozu entered, crowding around his desk, perhaps more closely than usual. "How may I help you?"

"We were wondering," Jiro said, "if you could tell us anything about an idol named Kimeru-chan?"

Mic Sensei arched his eyebrows. "Listening to the retro-tunes, huh?"

"Well, I asked my dad," Jiro said, "and he'd heard of her, but since he's more of a metal-head, he didn't have much info. And the internet's being pretty vague, too."

Mic Sensei hmmed, putting on a face of deep contemplation. "You'll need a bit of a history lesson to understand Kimeru-chan and her impact." He steepled his fingers. "In the time when Kimeru-chan was most prolific, about twenty-five to thirty years ago, Japan was suffering from much higher crime rates than it does today." He stopped a moment. "May it keep on like that. People being people, there were protests and appeals to government and law enforcement, and to heroes, to reform how they did things and step up their game. But most plans for reform were stalled, ignored, or met with very limited success. I and a good many others are unsure why to this day, though government corruption has been suggested as a major factor.

"Oddly enough, the music world became a major battlefield in all this protest. Pop idols took sides, and artists from all genres were drawn in. A great many established artists took a more patriotic stance, saying the people should support their government, and that their disloyalty was in part to blame for society's problems. Many newer, younger artists took the opposite stance, saying the old way had to change so people could rest easily in their homes without worrying about being robbed of their livelihoods or worse. Artists would write and record songs as rebuttals to each other, which only inflamed both sides." He half-smiled. "I won't go so far as to say that people were gearing up to go to war over music, but it certainly wasn't helping. It was in the midst of this lyrical chaos that a new—or rather, very old, ancient even—style of music came forward. And one of its first artists was Kimeru-chan." He paused, looking around him with an odd expression.

"And then?" Ochako asked.

"It'd be refreshing if you kids paid this much attention in my class," Mic Sensei said with a laugh.

"[We speak good English!]" Ochako said.

"Yeah!" Jiro nodded her head. "[We talk better English then English persons!]" Mic chuckled.

"We're getting sidetracked," Tsu-chan said. "What style of music was this?"

" 'Classic new-era hard classical' is what it's called nowadays," Mic Sensei said.

"Oh, I love that genre!" Yaoyorozu said, "It's so bouncy!"

"And yet," Mic Sensei said, "when Kimeru-chan and others first brought it into being, it was anything but happy." He leaned forward. "Have any of you heard a recording of her music?"

"It's beautiful," Jiro said, twirling one of her earphones, "but stark. It was just her voice and a violin. And the lyrics…"

"Pulled no punches," Mic Sensei said. "When you have synthetic sound and electric instrumentals and a lot of voice-modulation going on, you run the risk of losing the emotions the music is intended to communicate for all the bells and whistles." He made a looping gesture with one hand. "This genre bypassed all that. All the artists had were words, skill, and whatever instruments they decided to use, whether a whole symphony or a single voice. It was so different from all the other music out there people couldn't help but pay attention.

"And as soon as it was clear this was a new thing changing the shape of the battlefield, both sides jumped on, either by establishing new artists or buying established ones. One by one, most artists went one way or the other. Until Kimeru-chan stood alone."

"Alone how?"

"Those first artists were entering a battlefield. If you've ever been on one of those, you know the fight devolves from a clash of ideals to just a clash. A lot of it was cruel mudslinging, artists digging up dirt on the opposition and throwing it as hard as they could."

"And Kimeru-chan took no part?" Ochako said.

"She wasn't even a teenager when she came on the scene," Mic Sensei said, "but that isn't correct, Miss Uraraka. She hit back—hard enough to make most artists back off. But it was always classily done. She never forgot that these other artists were people. And she never forgot her true aim." There was a moment's contemplative silence.

"Social reform," Tsu-chan said.

"That's right," Mic Sensei said, flashing her a smile. "Every song she ever released was much more a call for change than an attack on a person. And a lot of people listened and respected her voice. After five years steadily releasing singles and albums, she was on the verge of becoming one of the biggest artists in Japan."

"So, what happened?" Jiro asked. "I feel like someone that influential should be listed in history as one of Japan's greatest musicians. But my dad barely knew more than her name."

"Your dad's young, then, Miss Jiro," Mic Sensei said, "but her music career petered out shortly thereafter. Change came, All Might being one of its biggest agents and proponents. Without that civil unrest, it seems Kimeru-chan couldn't channel the same emotion into her music, and people felt less motivated to listen. Her career went sideways, and I believe she writes poetry now."

"And how's that?"

Mic Sensei shrugged. "It's poetry. It's supposed to be made by people who can't sing." He looked at the clock. "And I have to be in a meeting in five minutes. I hope I was helpful, valued listeners."

"Wait," Ochako said. "Does anyone know who Kimeru-chan really was?"

"As a rule," Mic Sensei said as he rose and picked up his papers, "the identities of underage idols were and are kept confidential, for obvious reasons. You girls have as good an idea of her identity as I do." He thought a moment. "Although, Kimeru-chan was noteworthy in that she always played behind a curtain during her performances. Not sure why. Anyway, I have to go. Keep studying!"

They closed the classroom door behind them. "I should find more of her tracks," Jiro said, "that girl sounds fucking amazing."

"Language!" Yaoyorozu said, giving her a little shove. "We're in school!"

"We're on school grounds," Jiro said, "not in class. And since we live here now, I'll curse whenever I'm not in class, or I'll start to sound more and more like Bakugou!" She whispered something in Yaoyorozu's ear, and said Yaoyorozu blushed crimson.

Ochako was hardly listening. "Ochako-chan?" Tsu-chan whispered, startling her. The other two had moved ahead. "Did that explain anything?"

"I don't think so," Ochako said. "I'm sure Deku thought Kimeru-chan sounded like his mom. But why wouldn't he know that? It doesn't sound like she did anything disgraceful."

"Maybe she has reasons for keeping it quiet," Tsu-chan said. "Either way, it really isn't our place to pry. I think we've found out all we can for now."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Ochako said.

Author's Note: I'm sure most of you were expecting a date somewhere in this chapter, and I'm sorry, but it didn't end up working out that way, since this chapter would've been _far_ too long if I'd tried to fit it in. It is for sure coming up next time, though. Once again, sorry if I dashed anyone's hopes.


	6. 6 Beneath the Mangrove

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: Culebra del Sol, E-sailor-asjm, Eddyman15, Flareblitz the God, Svelona, and lucsargeant.

This story's also on tumblr, under #allmom au, in case that's more convenient for anyone. I hope you enjoy!

6\. Beneath the Mangrove

Inko had to stifle a laugh when she opened the door. Toshinori was altogether too well dressed, and by some miracle he'd smoothed his hair down. "A nice dress shirt and pants would've been fine," she said, taking the enormous bouquet he offered her.

"But without a suit jacket," Toshinori said, stepping inside, "I can't give it to you if you get cold, right?"

"It's August," Inko said, pulling two vases off the top shelf and filling them with water, "I won't get cold." Even as she spoke, her skin warmed. "But thank you for the consideration, and the flowers, they're lovely. So," she divided the bouquet between the vases, "w-where are you taking me tonight?"

Toshinori smiled. "It's a surprise. The good news is, it's a surprise within easy walking distance." Inko paused, and grabbed her low-heels. He offered her his arm. She took it. As they headed out into the night, there was a weird constriction in her chest, and she was sure she was starting to sweat.

"Inko?"

"Y-yes?"

He laid a hand over hers. She looked up, and though his blue eyes were piercing as ever, his expression was gentle. "I'm nervous, too." He smiled. "So nervous I forgot to tell you how lovely you look tonight."

"Yeah," she said, flushing more. "You look handsome, too." She pushed the button for the elevator.

"For a skeleton," he chuckled. The door opened, and they stepped inside.

Inko kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, until she caught him doing the same. She giggled. "I feel like a teenager all over again."

Toshinori's smile widened. "So, have you read Kimeru-chan's new poem?"

Inko nodded, relaxing into familiar territory. "It was alright. Not up to her usual standard, I think."

"I thought the tone was different," Toshinori said, "from her usual work. It seemed… lighter, I guess. Maybe something good's happened in her life?"

"Maybe." They relaxed into familiar things, and yet Inko's pulse wasn't normally this fast. They stopped a couple of times on their way to the restaurant, for her to rest her feet, and him just to rest.

The restaurant in question wasn't ostentatious, but still classy. The last time she'd been to it was when she, Mitsuki and a couple other friends had celebrated their kids getting into the high schools they wanted, and Mitsuki and she had taken pride of place; it'd been the first time in a long time Inko had gotten well and truly sauced.

It was busy, but not packed. As they sat down and the waiter took their drinks, Inko glanced out of the corner of her eye. _Shit._ Mitsuki and Masaru were sitting just a few tables away. Inko tried to shift her chair so Mitsuki couldn't see her face, but… it was too late, Mitsuki had clearly seen her. And though Mitsuki wasn't one to intrude overmuch, she was at least going to satisfy social formalities and say hello.

"A friend of mine just saw us," Inko whispered across the table. "Relax, I can handle this."

Toshinori nodded. Once the waiter had come with their drinks and taken their orders—Toshinori explained in rough why he could only have soup, and the waiter was thoroughly accommodating—Inko saw Mitsuki get up. Her pulse, already above normal, quickened. She felt a hand slide over hers, and Toshinori gave her a wink. It sort of helped, and sort of made it worse.

"It's good to see you, Inko," Mitsuki said. Inko registered Masaru waving in their direction from their own table. "Masaru and I are just having a night out of the house ourselves."

"Yes," Inko replied, scrambling for an explanation, "I hope you're having a good time."

"We are." She turned to Toshinori. "And I don't think we've—" she froze.

"Good evening, Mrs. Bakugou," Toshinori said, sounding perfectly amiable. "It is good to see you again."

"I—yes." Mitsuki shot Inko a broad, almost salacious grin; she might've laughed and offered a high-five under less formal circumstances. She lowered her voice. "I hope my son hasn't been giving you much trouble, All Might."

"Only a bit moreso than anyone else," Toshinori said, smiling. It was a slightly different smile than the one Inko was used to.

"That sounds both generous and about right," Mitsuki said. She turned to Inko. "I just came over to say hi. I'll leave you two alone now." She winked at Inko. "Have a good night."

"You too," Inko said. Mitsuki gave them one last searching look before heading back to her table. She spoke with Masaru, whose eyes widened, and he gave them another look.

"Aside from the resemblance," Toshinori said, "you wouldn't know she's Young Bakugou's mother when she's out in public."

Inko nodded, chuckling herself. "Unless she really starts drinking. Then she wants to fight everything."

"That doesn't surprise me." The conversation died down after that. Toshinori hadn't moved his hand. Inko, after a moment of steeling her nerve, shifted hers and slid her fingers between his. Toshinori looked at her. She looked back. In the candlelight, there was something gentling about the flicker on Toshinori's austere features, even as it made his eyes stand out. He leaned forward.

"Yes?" She leaned forward too.

"You really are beautiful."

The rest of dinner passed mostly in quiet. Either of them might make a comment or an observation here and there, but Toshinori felt no pressure either to speak or not speak. How long had it been since he'd felt so relaxed? The tension he'd felt when Mitsuki had come over to talk seemed so far away. There was just warmth and Inko's soft green eyes across the table.

Eventually, they left the restaurant, Toshinori graciously covering the meal. As the doors closed behind them, Inko took his hand. "I don't know what you had planned for the rest of the evening," she said, "but there's a place I'd like to show you."

Toshinori admitted to himself that he hadn't had much else in mind. "Lead on." Inko led him with purpose, such that he had to ask her to stop once so he could catch his breath.

As he recovered, she sat, staring up at the crescent moon overhead. He could see she was a bit nervous, but that trembling energy only made her look more vibrant. Her black dress cut to just below her knees, her hair with a slight wave to it, her pearl earrings and necklace; they were lovely, to be sure, but she didn't need them.

They pressed on, until he heard the sound of gently running water. There was a river not far from her apartment, wasn't there? They came to a bridge, and to its left a walkway leading down. They passed one terrace, two, three. At the fourth and final Inko turned off, still leading him by the hand. There was a string of lanterns overhead, and near the back and the far end of the narrow terrace was an enormous mangrove tree. Most of the terrace was sand save for that tree and a few hardy bulrushes and reed grasses. The water hushed by just a few feet below the level of the terrace. And at the centre of it all was a single narrow bench, a blanket spread over it.

Inko squeezed his hand, leading him forward. They sat. Inko sighed. Her hair was glossy in the lantern light.

"This place," Toshinori whispered, "is like the ocean."

Inko didn't immediately reply. "How so?"

He looked around. "It has a presence that quiets the mind and heart."

Inko laughed softly. "I was so worried about showing you this place. Would you think it was weird? Boring, even? I was pretty sure you'd like it, but I almost didn't bring you here." She clasped a hand to the side of her face. "I'm glad you like it."

"Thank you for showing me." Toshinori looked across the water, glittering in the gentle light. Why were his hands trembling?

"What's wrong?" Something in Inko's feather-soft voice made Toshinori's chest twist up, and before he realized what he was doing he was sobbing, chest and shoulders heaving as he bent forward. He felt Inko's hand release his, and then her arms were around him, a solid presence anchoring him while he shook. "It's okay," she kept whispering, one hand stroking his back.

"When did I forget how to be happy?" Toshinori said, almost choking on his own tongue. "You've been wonderful this whole time, and all I can keep thinking is 'When is the other shoe going to drop'? When your friend came by our table, I thought our evening— _everything—_ was done. I was terrified!"

There was no reply. Inko just held him. Toshinori felt a wet spot on the back of his neck, which made him think she was crying too. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her too until the crying stopped.

"Over the years," Inko said, not moving, "you've had a lot of wonderful things taken away, haven't you?"

Toshinori thought of his mentor, who this woman reminded him of more vividly by the day. He thought of the friends and allies All For One had killed or broken. He thought of the hole blown in his side six years ago, of the time he could no longer spend doing what he loved. He thought of his wasted body, now bereft of much capacity for helping anyone. And he thought of Young Shigaraki, who had been so close so many times, All For One waving him in Toshinori's face even as he snatched him out of reach. And he thought of all the people of Japan, still reeling as the impact of the fall of the Symbol of Peace shook the land.

He nodded.

"I can't promise you'll be happy today," Inko said, her voice shaking, "or tomorrow, or even in a year. But you have so many people who want you to be. Starting with… m-me." She squeezed him ever so slightly. "It's okay to be sad."

Eventually Toshinori's breathing eased, and his shoulders stopped shaking. He gave Inko a gentle squeeze, and she slowly let him go.

"I've been so nervous this whole evening about screwing this up," Toshinori said once he'd blown his nose on his handkerchief.

Inko wetly chuckled. "Me too. Anxiety does that. You keep thinking about all the ways things can go horribly wrong, so much so you forget about being happy right now."

"How do you deal with it?" Toshinori asked.

"I think of the people who need me." She blinked, and pulled her own handkerchief out of her purse. "You have some snot on your shoulder."

"Oh, sorry," he waited while she dabbed at it. "Um, you have some of my snot on _your_ shoulder."

"Oh." She started to chuckle again, a chuckle that grew and grew until it was a full-on belly laugh. After only a moment's hesitation, Toshinori started laughing too.

"I'm sorry tonight turned out so serious," Toshinori said as they came to Inko's apartment. "I wanted you to have fun."

Inko looked at him. His hair which at one point this evening had been straight and neat was dishevelled, and his nose and eyes looked red.

"I think we needed to get this out of the way," she said, "so we can have fun next time." She ran a nervous hand through her hair. "Maybe we can go to the zoo sometime. I haven't been in years."

"I'd be delighted." Toshinori sniffed.

Before she could stop herself, Inko wrapped her arms around him, and gave Toshinori a kiss on the cheek. "See you next week," she said in his ear, and released him.

He shivered where her breath touched. "See you then."


	7. 7 Actual Title Too Long to Fit

I'd like to thank my new followers: Chromemetic, Dusk Volt, Elkanadiano13, Kit Kage, and Unknown380. If I missed you, I apologize; shoot me a message and I'll mention you.

I hope the wait didn't feel too long, guys, now that I'm only updating weekly. I'll try to have the next update up early next week, but I've got midterms, so I can't promise it.

7\. Where No One Finds Out Anything Important at All

A grin spread across Mitsuki's face the second Inko walked through the restaurant door.

"Uh, hey," Inko said as she sat down.

"'Hey'?!" Mitsuki said. "You are going out with All—whatever, that's not important." She looked around for a waiter. "Dish. Lunch is on me."

"He's been coming once a week to give me updates on Izuku for the past month," Inko said, her face growing hot, "we got along well, so we decided to try dating. I was going to tell you when I was sure we were a thing!"

"Too bad he's not a muscle-man anymore, eh?" The waiter came around, and they gave him their orders.

"He gave everything fighting the villain that levelled half of Kamino Ward, Mitsuki," Inko said, "give him a break."

Mitsuki shrugged. "So now he wants to settle down. I don't really blame him."

"Settle—" Inko spluttered, "we've been on precisely _one_ date!"

"Fair enough. You mentioned he's well-educated," Mitsuki said, "does he like philosophers too? That's something of a deal-breaker with you, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry I think about things besides which famous people are boinking each other, and golf!" Inko hissed, failing to keep her temper in check.

Mitsuki's grin widened at "boinking", but she held up her hands. "I just wanted to know exactly how my best friend found herself at dinner opposite Japan's number one hero. The _intimate_ details are none of my business."

Inko breathed a sigh of relief. Sort of. "Thank you, Mitsuki."

"I'll have to make myself a hypocrite, however," Mitsuki said, "since I do have _a_ personal question." She leaned forward. "Are you going to tell him about Kimeru-chan?"

Inko rubbed the back of her head. "Well… he's… kind of… a f-fan."

Mitsuki blanked for a full second before she started cackling. "That is _perfect!_ " she said, smacking the table.

"It is a little ironic," Inko said, her cheeks getting hot.

"Okay, okay," Mitsuki said, raising a hand. "I'm happy for you, whether I'm acting like it or not. If you want to talk, you can. Or not, it's your call."

"Thanks." They talked about little things after that, jobs and husbands, kids and hobbies. Inko could _feel_ the restraint Mitsuki needed to keep from peppering her with questions. It wasn't much better than a straight-up interrogation.

"The Kimeru-chan question only occurred to me," Mitsuki said as she and Inko walked home after, "because Katsuki and his friends from school were apparently talking about her. I didn't tell him everything, but I gave him enough to satisfy his curiosity."

"Oh." Inko said. "Wait, did they listen to a recording or something?"

Mitsuki shrugged. "Maybe. Why—oh. Does Izuku _not_ know?"

Inko shook her head. "I left the music side of my life behind a long time ago, and he never had much use for poetry."

"Well," Mitsuki looked up at the sky, "considering where things could go with All Might retired, we may need some inspiring music in the days ahead."

(two weeks-ish later)

"Oh, the baby gorilla was so cute!" Ochako said, bouncing from one foot to the other. "Did you see how she smacked the silverback over the head?"

"And he started playing a game with her, where she chased and he ran," Ashido said, mimicking the silverback exactly. Hagakure laughed.

"I liked the flamingos more," Kyoka said, licking one half of a twin-pop.

"Because they're gay," Tsu-chan said, grinning.

Yaoyorozu, licking the other half, took Kyoka's hand. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. Kyoka-chan, you should do a flamingo mating dance for Yao-momo." Ochako and Ashido both sprayed their drinks over the railing. Yaoyorozu turned toward the next enclosure, her ears red.

"I cannot _believe_ we got the day off," Hagakure said. "And right near the end of summer. This is so awesome!"

"Aizawa Sensei said there was a major scheduling error, and the third-year class needed the TDL more," Yaoyorozu said. "We should really be studying, I guess."

"We've _been_ studying for weeks!" Ashido said, running ahead to the tropical bird exhibit. "I need a break or my antennae are gonna fall off!"

"It is nice to go out and do something not hero-related for a change," Ochako said.

"Hey, are we going inside the tropical house?" Tsu-chan said. "I want to see the poison-arrow frogs."

"They are quite lovely," Yaoyorozu said as she went through the door Kyoka held for her. "Like they're made of glass."

It was hot inside the tropical house, which really should've been obvious in hindsight. Ochako dabbed at the humidity condensing on her forehead. And then did a double-take. She tapped Tsu-chan on the shoulder.

"Oh. Who knew All Might Sensei liked birds, too?"

The others noticed where they were staring. "Should we say hello?" Yaoyorozu said, "Or leave him alone on his day off?"

That question was answered as the crowd parted. Ochako had met Mrs. Midoriya when Deku had invited herself and Iida over to his house to study. She'd been quite nice. She had _not_ been holding hands with the Symbol of Peace, however.

"Who's that?" Ashido said a little too loudly. All Might and Mrs. Midoriya both looked. Mrs. Midoriya looked like a deer caught in the headlights, her face reddening by the second. All Might spat what was either his drink or some blood.

The pair approached them. Ochako completely blanked. If someone had asked what her Quirk was, she couldn't have told them.

"Hello, girls," All Might said, wiping at his mouth. "I'd heard your class got the day off. There was a scheduling error?" His voice rose a couple of octaves as he spoke.

"Yes," Kyoka said, recovering her powers of speech first. "We thought we'd go to the zoo and relax before we went back to work." She bowed to Mrs. Midoriya. "All Might Sensei is one of our teachers."

"Oh!" Mrs. Midoriya appeared to be slowly grinding into motion too. "You're Izuku's classmates, right?"

Ochako heard five brains stall in perfect synchrony. "Mrs. Midoriya, it's good to see you again!" Ochako all but shouted, bowing so low she almost touched her toes. She heard a few errant squawks from the birds around them.

"I'm Asui Tsuyu," Tsu-chan also bowed. She turned to All Might. "Is this why—"

"No, no," All Might said. "We only met a couple months ago. Young Midoriya made an impression on me long before that."

"Um," Mrs. Midoriya said, "if you'd like to talk we can talk, but I'd appreciate it if none of you could mention this to Izuku." She shared a look with All Might. "We want to make sure we're a good fit before he finds out."

"Yeah, telling him All Might is going to be his new daddy isn't something you tell Midoriya-chan prematurely," Tsu-chan said.

All Might laughed so hard he coughed up more blood. Mrs. Midoriya pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him. "He decorated his room the same as at home?"

There were a few snorts. "Yup."

"We were going to grab lunch after this," All Might said, taking Mrs. Midoriya's hand. "Would you care to join us?"

"That sounds lovely, thank you," Yaoyorozu said. Ochako was pretty sure, along with the other girls, that she didn't absorb much of the tropical house; there was too much weirdness for that. The idea of All Might and Deku's mother as an item was… unexpected. But as she saw and heard the two interact, it got slightly less weird. All Might as the somewhat nervous, doting gentleman was cute, even if he was a skeleton, and Mrs. Midoriya was clearly on cloud nine.

As they finished in the tropical house, Tsu-chan nudged Ochako. "Hey, Ochako-chan, do we want to ask Mrs. Midoriya about Kimeru-chan?"

Ochako smacked her fist into her palm. "You're right, this is perfect!" She looked at the others. "But let's keep it quiet. We don't want to put Mrs. Midoriya on the spot." Tsu-chan nodded.

Ochako sidled over to Mrs. Midoriya. "Um, Mrs. Midoriya?"

"Yes, Miss Uraraka?"

"Do you—," she lowered her voice, "are you Kimeru-chan?"

Mrs. Midoriya almost fell over, dragging All Might with her. Fortunately, Ochako just tapped the pair of them and made them weightless.

"What's wrong?" All Might said, taking Mrs. Midoriya's hand in both of his. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes," Mrs. Midoriya said. "I just tripped is all. Go on ahead with the other girls, I think Miss Uraraka has a personal question for me."

All Might nodded, and asked the girls what they wanted to eat, letting them lead the way. Once they were a suitable distance ahead, Mrs. Midoriya started speaking.

"I am."

"And Deku didn't know."

"Right." Mrs. Midoriya blinked and looked at Ochako. "What do you mean 'didn't'?"

"Oh, um," Ochako ran a hand through her hair, "All Might Sensei told us about 'Remember the Sun', he said he found it really inspiring when he was young. So we found a recording online, and Deku recognized your voice."

"Twenty-nine years ago and he recognized me." Mrs. Midoriya rubbed her face. "Oh, that boy has good ears. Find someone who listens half as well as he does, Miss Uraraka, and you'll have a fine partner someday."

Ochako blushed to her roots. "Y-yeah."

Mrs. Midoriya arched an eyebrow, and a ghost of a smile spread across her face. "I've been finding out the last little while that, at the end of the day, don't worry about what people look like or what they have, or even what they can do. All you need to worry about is how you feel about them, how they feel about you, and how you treat each other." Ochako followed her gaze; All Might was taking some sunflower seeds he'd just bought and spreading them for the birds. "And take as much time as you need. I remember feeling that everything moved so fast at your age, but move at your own pace. Rushing things will ruin them if you aren't careful."

"Th-thank you," Ochako said, "I'll remember that."

Mrs. Midoriya snorted. "Listen to me, dating for less than two months and acting like I know everything."

"Well, it's still good advice," Ochako said.

They resumed walking. "So how is Izuku doing?" Mrs. Midoriya. "I always hear the school's side of things, but how well does he get on with his classmates?"

"Pretty well," Ochako said, relaxing now she was fairly sure she was on safe ground. "He's incredible at solving problems and he's always coming up with new inventive ways to use his Quirk. Everyone in class who doesn't see him as a rival looks up to him."

Mrs. Midoriya smiled. "That's good. I thought he must be working hard if he could catch All Might's attention."

Ochako nodded. "He's really strong, and even when it's tough, or he loses, he just gets back up and tries again. I…" she chuckled, "I kind of wish I could be more like that."

Mrs. Midoriya hmmed an affirmative. "I'm always a bit scared for him, especially with such a dangerous Quirk. But I am glad he's happy and helping others so much." She seemed lost in her own thoughts for a moment.

"Did Deku ever tell you about the entrance exam?" Ochako said as they approached the table.

"He thought he'd failed it," Mrs. Midoriya said as she sat next to All Might. "What happened?"

Between them, the girls explained how the practical portion of the entrance exam worked. "I thought I was doing pretty good," Ochako said, "until this enormous robot—the same one as the bunch that showed up at the sports festival—came at us. It was huge! It tore down buildings and ripped the street to pieces just going by! Everyone was trying to run away from it in the chaos, but I tripped and some rubble trapped my leg." She shivered. "I was so desperate I didn't even notice Deku until there was this huge _whoosh_ and he was flying at it just like All Might!" Said All Might rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish grin on his face. "A second later, and he just punched it straight in the face! Knocked it flying back! He was barely a dot in the sky, it was so huge, but he knocked it right over!" Ochako was about to tell the rest of the story, but realized who she was telling it to. "He saved me," she finished.

"He does rush in without thinking sometimes, though," Yaoyorozu said.

"Well," Kyoka said, "sometimes when you're in a crisis, you don't have time to think. That's part of our schooling, right? Getting the good reactions so quick and ingrained we don't have to think?"

"Exactly right," All Might said. "This is why there's a lot of repetition. It might seem boring, but it can save many lives if you can do it without having to remember."

Ochako glanced at Tsu-chan. Had All Might improved as a teacher, or was it just her?

"I'm glad Midoriya-chan isn't Quirkless," Tsu-chan said.

"Why's that?" Mrs. Midoriya said.

"If he ran into a dangerous situation with no Quirk and no training, he'd be more danger than help."

Mrs. Midoriya sipped her drink. "Yes," she said, "I suppose that's true."


	8. 8 Growing Together

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: GUARDIANXAY, LexLai, Lord White Fang, Melo Coges, Nicky62, OrionFanOfEverything, Remnant's Sage, black air mage, bow-and-arrow-lover, and hecate-19. This might be the first time I've picked up ten new followers in a single chapter.

You may notice that a certain character-who shall remain nameless-insinuated themselves into my work again; it just happened, and sh- _we_ refuse to apologise for that happy accident. Enjoy!

8\. Growing Together…

"Toshinori?" He looked up at Inko. "Ever wonder why so many epic tales end in tragedy?"

Toshinori hummed in thought. "I suspect because people worry about the worst that can happen."

Inko chuckled. His head was in her lap, and she was stroking his hair. He'd had a lengthy coughing fit as he came in the door, and she'd insisted they stay in. "It _is_ easier on the heart to worry about someone else's problems, I think." She put down her translation of Hamlet. "I've been telling my friends bits and pieces about us." Toshinori, about to scratch his nose, hesitated. "Nothing sensitive," she said, "and I've never brought us up first." He breathed a sigh of relief. "They vacillate between thinking we're two lovers from an epic romance, and thinking the same, but from a tragedy. Either way, I've inferred they think we're moving too slow."

There was an awkward pause. "Do you want to move a bit faster?" he asked, not quite believing he was asking this question.

"I just… have a couple questions." She sounded both curious and nervous.

"Oh?" His pulse picked up. He wasn't sure why.

"You were the Number One Hero, All Might, The Symbol of Peace, for a long time. How did you deal with women throwing themselves at you?"

Toshinori coughed up some blood; Inko had a handkerchief waiting. "I deflected, mostly," he said, sitting up, setting his hands on his knees. "Much of the time I said I had a meeting to attend, or a late dinner with a friend, or… that I was already entertaining someone."

"You said 'mostly', just now," Inko said. Despite her words, her tone wasn't at all aggressive. "So you did entertain some of them?"

A very loud warning bell sounded in Toshinori's brain; he took a deep breath, and decided. "Yes. Not often, and not since my injury."

Inko nodded. "What set apart the ones you did entertain?"

Toshinori couldn't have said why he said what he did. "They were kind."

"They were…"

He nodded. "That is the best way I can explain it. I saw them do or heard them say something that made me think 'this is a gentle, kind person'. I always told them what the situation was, that I couldn't treat a woman the way she deserved, that it could only be a one-night thing and nothing more, so she wouldn't waste her time on me. I can count on one hand the number of women I made that offer to, and those were the only ones I spent the night with. And the safety of Japan was too important for me to do even that for the past six years."

"I see." Inko looked deep in thought. Toshinori normally found her almost-muttering adorable. But he had no idea what she was thinking, and given the context...

"Why are you asking me this?"

She reached for his hand. His met hers part-way. She squeezed, still looking out the living room window. "Are you happy, with the pace we're moving at?"

"I, um." Toshinori took another deep breath. "Inko, look at me." She did. "I'm an emaciated wreck of a man. I long ago accepted that I would never have a family, never know a woman longer than a single night, and six years ago I consigned myself to the fact that I would probably never have even that little ever again. And now… I have a friend who I can talk about heroic stories with, who challenges me even as I struggle to challenge her. I couldn't imagine having the pointless, hilarious debates I've had with you with anyone else, and I've never met anyone who, stuttering and anxious, and even crying, can stand so firmly by what she believes." He smiled. "You're the kind of unshakeable I've struggled to be since Kimeru-chan's words changed my life all those years ago." He squeezed her hand, ever so gently. "If you want to wait, I'd wait ten thousand lifetimes for half the person you are." Inko's eyes filled with tears. "Inko?" Toshinori's pulse started racing again. "Did I say something wrong? I said something wrong, didn—"

She rushed in so fast their teeth clicked against each other's. She pulled away, her eyes squeezed almost shut, tears streaming from the corners. She was kneeling on the couch, her hands against his cheeks, forehead pressed against his. Her grin was radiant.

She kissed him again, less aggressively. Then her arms were around his neck and she was laughing as he kissed her back. Toshinori was sure he'd never heard a sound so blissfully happy, and his heart had rarely been so warm.

(Maybe a week-ish later)

"Does All Might seem more upbeat these days, or is it me?" Deku said as the class was eating supper in the common area. Ochako almost choked on a dumpling.

"I don't know," Shinso said as he sipped the dregs of his bubble tea. "I just transferred into this class last week. He's always been pretty positive, though, right?"

"Well, yeah," Kirishima said, "but he doesn't usually hum, and I swear he was almost skipping as he walked with us to class. I mean, skipping is a manly form of exercise, don't get me wrong, but it was… odd."

"W-well," Yaoyorozu said, her fade a shade redder than usual, "I mean, we all have our good days and bad, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Deku said, "But this has been going on for a while now. And considering everything that's happened, I'd have thought he'd be getting more serious, if anything."

Iida punched his palm. "He must be showing us how the pros deal with stress by example, rather than being shaken by adversity. He has truly improved as a teacher!"

The elevator up to the rooms opened, and—Ochako did a double-take—Hatsume Mei strolled into the common area. She was wearing an oil-stained tank-top and baggy jeans with rips and oil-stains in them. She was rubbing her hands on a filthy rag.

"I told you to take the back door!" Iida all but shouted, turning brick-red in an instant. Everyone else was stone-silent.

"I forgot to give Uraraka an update on her jet-boots," she said, unfazed by Iida's tone or volume. She turned to Uraraka. "They're coming along nicely, by the way. Since you just need them for steering and not lift, we've been focusing more on giving you pin-point steering rather than heavy thrust."

"Oh, great," Ochako squeaked.

"Anyway," Hatsume headed for the door, "I'm going out for supper. Iida, thanks for letting me take a look at your engine schematic. Our baby's due in a month or so, you'll love her!" Iida squawked as Hatsume walked by. Did Ochako hear a small 'slap' when she passed him?

Kaminari broke the silence. "Guys, do you think All Might has a girlfriend?"

No one could hear what Iida was yelling about over the howls of laughter that shook the common area. Ochako swore she even saw Bakugou break a smile as he pored over his notes.

Eventually, the laughter stopped, though Deku was seized by a fit of the hiccups. Iida was studying his notes so closely he didn't have to look at anyone—his face was an unhealthy shade of purple—and mumbling.

"Seriously, though," Kaminari said, propping his feet up on the sitting area table even as Iida smacked them off, "with the workload we've all got, and the fact that the teachers' is probably even heavier, the _only_ reason I'd be half as cheerful as he is was if I had a pretty girl on my mind."

Kyoka rolled her eyes. "Are women the _only_ thing you can analyze, Kaminari?"

Kaminari shrugged. "Anyone have a better suggestion?"

There was a moment's pause. "All Might is our teacher," Yaoyorozu said, "so his personal life is his business. We should refrain from gossiping about it."

"I agree entirely!" Iida said from the table.

"How many babies are you and Hatsume making, Iida-chan?" Tsu-chan asked. Iida buried his face in his notes. More laughs.

The intercom clicked on. "Midoriya Izuku to the teacher's lounge, please."

Everyone looked at Deku. "I wonder what's up," Deku said as he got up. "I'll be back in a bit." The doors opened and closed behind him.

"Are you hiding something, Yaoyorozu?" Shinso asked. His tone was jocular, but his eyes, like always, were fairly intense.

"N-no!" Yaoyorozu said, blushing bright rosy pink and convincing no one.

"Did you see or hear something about All Might?"

"N-nothing at all!"

He chuckled. The rest of the boys—except Iida—leaned in closer, staring at Yaoyorozu, who kept getting redder by the second.

"That's enough," Kyoka said. "Either you idiots stop staring at Momo, or I'm poking out some eyes."

Everyone's eyes went back to their homework.

"Is she cute?"

"Let it go," Todoroki said, giving Shinso a nudge.

(Ten minutes later)

The door to the teacher's lounge opened and closed. "You wanted to see me, All Might?" Young Midoriya said. Toshinori was standing by the window, looking out over the grounds of U.A. It was a clear, bright autumn day having more in common with the summer past than the winter to come. He turned around to face Young Midoriya.

"Yes." He sighed. "I'm going to tell your mother about One For All."

"What!" Young Midoriya just about fell over.

"Easy," Toshinori said. "I won't tell her about All For One and its origin, but I will tell her about me and it and you."

"Why now?" Young Midoriya looked completely baffled.

"Why didn't I tell her before I even gave you this Quirk that has broken your body again and again?" Toshinori asked. "I should've. The day before you took the entrance exam to U.A., I should've visited your house and told her what my plans were regarding her only child." He put his head in his hands. "Young Midoriya, since you've moved into the dorms here, I've spent some time with your mother, talking about you, and a number of mutual interests."

"You—," Young Midoriya stopped. "You have mutual interests?"

Toshinori nodded. "More than I had thought possible. And now, I am convinced the only person who _might_ be less likely to betray this secret than her is me." He sat. "I am going to see her tomorrow night for another update on you. I'll tell her then."

"Wait, won't she be really mad at you?" Young Midoriya said. "She was upset enough about just the dorms and how my Quirk worked, won't she be furious? Maybe she'll pull me out of U.A., or demand that you never see me again, or—"

"I _know_ , Izu—Young Midoriya," Toshinori said. Young Midoriya looked as surprised as he himself felt at the near slip. "I know. I have considered all of this. Whatever happens, whatever she decides, I will instruct and protect you as best I can, because however much your mother may forbids me to, however much she may deny it, I cannot undo what I've done. And for your sake, I will not abandon you."

He got up to leave.

"All Might?"

Toshinori sighed. "Yes?"

"Why are you shaking?"

He grinned. "Because I don't know whether your mother's more like my mentor than I think she is, or less."

He was about to open the door.

"One more question?" Young Midoriya's voice was very small.

"What is it?"

"Are you… do you have a girlfriend?"

Toshinori cackled. "You noticed, huh?" He wiped his mouth. "Yes, we've been seeing each other a while now."

"Don't tell mom about her," Young Midoriya said.

"I'm afraid she's already come up," Toshinori said. He gave Young Midoriya a sly look. "Why does that concern you?"

Young Midoriya flushed scarlet. "I just thought you should show her you're focused on raising me like you said." He shouted it all incredibly fast.

"On _that_ score, at least," Toshinori said, holding open the door for his pupil, "neither of you has anything to worry about."


	9. 9 And Falling Apart

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: Keradon, Kisame Hoshigaki, Smartypants001, eminutemen18, guardsmansparky, marinebaby1210, and shaneardenhammer.

9\. …And Falling Apart

"So," Mitsuki asked as she sat down, "how are things?"

Inko grinned, and held up three fingers.

Mitsuki's eyebrows shot up. "You feel like a teenager right now, don't you?" Inko squealed, nearly upsetting the table. "Third base, and you're over the moon. You kind of opened the throttle after the one-month mark, didn't you?"

Inko shrugged. "It just… felt right, I guess."

"So," Mitsuki said, leaning closer, "is he a nibbler?"

Inko tried to be affronted. "A licker, actually."

Mitsuki only looked shocked for a moment. "I think I like the new Inko. Incidentally, have you lost weight?"

Inko nodded. "I'm doing a bit of jogging. You know, to keep the lungs running smoothly."

"So, have you told him yet?" Inko resisted the urge to roll her eyes; Mitsuki asked literally every time.

"No, not yet." She brightened. "But I think I'll do it tonight. I've got it all planned out—"

" _That_ sounds like my Inko," Mitsuki said. "I was starting to think we'd have to form a search party."

"Ha ha," Inko said. "I really think he's going to love it."

"He'd better," Mitsuki said. "He's dating a pop idol after all." Her expression changed. "You realize Paradise isn't going to last forever, right Inko?"

"Huh?"

"You two are eventually going to fight about something," she continued, "and the dream will end, and he'll be a normal guy." She hesitated. "Sort of."

Inko gave her a quizzical look. "We've fought. About how he should stop pushing himself so hard with his ill-health. About how not having everything exactly perfect isn't going to end in total disaster." She smiled, her eyes looking into the distance. "About how that one plate he dropped and the extra pounds I've put on over the years don't matter in the slightest." Her tea came, and Inko stirred in some milk. "He's _learning_ to be normal again, after a lifetime as something more and less."

(that night)

"So the villain basically got what he wanted at the end," Toshinori said as he waited for Inko to unlock the door.

"I think the way they set things up," Inko said as she rummaged through her purse, "there's going to be a—oh, there we go—sequel." She unlocked the door. She turned and winked. "Won't you come in, sir?"

Toshinori grinned. "I'd be delighted, provided my ingress impeaches not at all upon m'lady's honour."

Inko laughed, grabbed him by his collar, and pulled him down for a kiss. "The only one who should care about the impeaching of mine honour, good sir, is me." Her voice, furry and soft, sent shivers down Toshinori's spine. "Come in."

He came in, her hands taking his, leading gently but firmly. She didn't head for the couch, as was their custom. She let go with one hand to open the door to her bedroom. He gave her a questioning look. The grin Inko gave him was positively wolfish.

It turned slightly awkward as they sat on the bed, both facing the window.

"Inko—"

"Toshinori—"

They laughed as they interrupted each other, but there was a nervous tension in the air. "I'm sorry," Toshinori said, "but I think I need to go first this time."

"Is…" the laugh was fading from Inko's voice, "is this what you've been quiet about all night?"

Toshinori nodded. "I need… I need to tell you the truth about my relationship with your son… and about my Quirk."

"Your… Quirk?"

Toshinori kept going. "It emerged in the distant past, when Quirks were still quite new. A Quirk to gather strength combined with a Quirk that could be passed from one person to another. Its original holder wanted to use it to fight evil, but his body was frail, and he knew he would most likely die before this Quirk could come into its own. So he cultivated its strength and his own, and eventually, he found a worthy person, and passed it on. This Quirk was called 'One For All', the spinning together of the strength and will of many into one person.

"Each holder since has mastered this Quirk, built upon the foundations laid by others, and when the time came, passed it on. I was the eighth holder of One For All, and I fought the villain at Camino Ward twice, and narrowly defeated him both times."

He stared at his hands, scarred from their years of loyal service. "But over a year ago now, I met Izuku. I could only maintain muscle-form for three hours a day by then, and was desperate to find someone I could pass on this Quirk to. When I saved Young Bakugou from that sludge villain, it was your son, Quirkless and terrified, not me, and not any other hero, who rushed at the villain to try and save him." Toshinori clenched his hands, transforming without even really feeling it. "He inspired me to act when I was the lowest I'd been in many years." He changed back. "He was brave to the point of foolishness, but also intelligent and driven, so I told him about my Quirk, and asked him if he would take it on. He accepted."

Toshinori sighed. "But the power built up in One For All now is too great to be easily wielded. He needed to strengthen his body so it would not tear him apart. As it is, he can horribly injure himself if he goes too far with it. I am still an inexperienced teacher, but I am doing all I can, and he is learning so fast, that I do not believe this will be a danger for much longer."

It took all his strength, but Toshinori turned to face Inko. "That isn't why I'm telling you this. I should've told you this long ago, before I even passed One For All to Izuku. I should've understood that _you_ of all people would be the least likely to betray his secret, and by extension mine. Inko," he couldn't keep the pleading out of his voice, "I am so, so sorry I didn't tell you this before."

He took a breath to regain his composure. "If you want me to leave, if you never want to see me again, I understand. I will still guide Izuku because I made him my responsibility, and won't abandon him. But whether we continue together or not is your choice. I don't blame you if you hate me."

Toshinori's eyes had drifted downward as he spoke. When no reply was forthcoming, he forced them back up.

Inko was running her hands through her hair. He couldn't read her expression. After a moment, she took a breath. "I don't know what to think right now."

Toshinori nodded. "Should I leave then?"

Inko nodded. "I think you'd best."

Toshinori raised himself off the bed. "If you have any questions at all, you have my number." She nodded, not looking at him. As he left, Toshinori felt a cold dread in the pit of his stomach, and wished he had a coat.

(three days later)

"Rough patch?" Inko looked up as Mitsuki spoke. "You've hardly touched your jasmine."

"Oh." She sipped her tea. "I can't say exactly, but… it's bad."

"Can't say? Like," Mitsuki scrunched her eyebrows together, " 'fate of Japan' type stuff?"

"No." Inko said. She thought about it. "Yes." She put her head down. "Ugh… sort of."

Mitsuki drummed her fingers on the table. She only did that when she was nervous. "So it's something about him that you find… morally reprehensible?"

Inko picked up her head and put it in her hands. "It's about us. He kept something secret he should've told me a long time ago. But… I understand why he kept it secret. But it's the fact that he kept it secret that I find reprehensible."

Mitsuki gave Inko a concerned, searching look for a while. "Can you tell me _how_ he told you?"

" 'How'?"

"Did you find out yourself, or did he tell you? What was his expression or tone of voice? That sort of thing."

"We were about to… you know." In a detached way, Inko found it odd she wasn't blushing at all in alluding to that intimate moment. "And I was just about to tell him about Kimeru-chan—" She paused when Mitsuki half-choked on her tea, "when he told me he had something important to say. He'd been quiet all night, so I half-expected it.

"And then he told me. He got it all out quickly, almost in one breath, like he'd been holding it so long he would to collapse if he didn't. And most of it wasn't bad, until… the end." She twirled her stir-stick in her tea. "I don't know if he noticed, but his voice broke a couple times, and the look on his face… he couldn't meet my eye, he was so ashamed, and when he finally did he… he looked like he'd just handed me his heart and a knife." Inko dimly noticed she was crying. "I've never seen anyone look so scared. He looked like I felt when Izuku kept breaking himself in the s-sports—"

Mitsuki was around the table in an instant, arms around her. Inko had told her about the nightmares she still had about that day. She heard Mitsuki growl, which meant someone had been staring in their direction longer than was polite. Inko half-sniffed, half-laughed. She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes and nose. Eventually, she regained her composure, and Mitsuki returned to her seat.

"Do you…" Mitsuki looked down at her drink, "do you know how you feel about this? About _him?_ "

Inko took a deep, deep breath. "I only feel admiration and… and compassion or pity for the life he's lived; most people would've broken under the strain he took upon himself, the demons he's faced, alone. I… he broke my trust before he even knew me, Mitsuki, and I don't know yet if I'm alright with that, and it was about something… important." She looked out the window, at the busy street, at the people who had worries and problems so much smaller than they might have been.

"But I… I think I love him. Not for the Symbol of Peace he showed the world, but for the kind, intelligent, slightly oafish man he showed me." She almost smiled at how much he'd stumbled, how much he'd fretted, how human it made him.

Another silence. "You don't know if you can forgive him for what he didn't tell you," Mitsuki said. "Do you know if your feelings for him are stronger than that feeling of betrayal?"

Inko sighed. "Not yet."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mitsuki nod. "Do you think, even with this, he could make you happy in the future?"

"Maybe." Inko looked at Mitsuki. "What do you think I should do?"

Mitsuki's eyebrows shot up. "We've been friends for ages, and for all your worrying you've never once asked me that."

"Well?"

Mitsuki looked down at her tea. "There should always be something in the people we love that we admire." She took a sip. "He broke your trust on an issue you care very much about, but he came to you and told you when he didn't have to. He left what happens next in your hands, and he left when you told him you needed to think. This betrayal could be a wall between you for the rest of your lives, if you choose to spend them together. Or you could both use it as a chance to grow. And you, one of the most anxious, careful people I know, have time and again gone beyond your comfort zone with a man you've known for two or three months, and you've grown so much I hardly recognize you. You didn't have to say you loved him a moment ago for me to know it, Inko."

"So what should I do?"

Mitsuki sipped her tea again. "Whatever you decide, Inko, I'll support, whether I think it's a good idea or not. But this is your life, your betrayal, and your love. It has to be _your_ decision." Her expression softened. "Sorry, but I won't make it for you."


	10. 10 Kimeru-chan

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: Cthulhu rex, FudgeSuperior, Redrayvn, jvaldovinos302, and pedrofaria339.

Read on.

10\. Kimeru-chan

Without realizing it, Inko's feet took her to the terrace by the river. It was shortly after lunch. The river whispered by in the canal. Distantly, she could hear the shrieks of children as they played in the neighbourhood park behind her.

She hadn't felt this lost since her divorce… no, before that. She'd started feeling lost when she found out her baby was Quirkless. So much research, but no record of any Quirkless hero, and no child psychology book encouraged otherwise. She'd gotten depressed and anxious and fixated, and Hisashi hadn't really understood, though he'd tried to help both of them, at first. But after two years and no change, and him spending so much time abroad, and them finding less and less to talk about, they split.

And it was just her and Izuku. Her baby who'd never given up on being a hero, even though his mother cried and apologized for it. Even though no Quirkless hero had ever existed. Even though so many children at his school had fantastic hero Quirks, and so many heroes had exemplary Quirks, and Izuku adored the hero who had the most powerful Quirk of all. The hero who…

She sat there for a long, long time, that thought unfinished.

Over the next week, Inko felt like she was living in a fog, and she had no idea how the rest of that thought went. She returned to her terrace, again and again, tried to finish it. And couldn't.

And then Inko had a dream. A light passed from one shadowy figure to another, white, blue, red, green, gold, purple, violet. At the eighth figure, Toshinori, it blazed sun-yellow about him, swelling until she could hardly see Toshinori beneath the figure of All Might. As the light struck his hand, a tune so familiar Inko knew it spun from her own heart sounded in her ears, rippling on the water of her secret terrace.

"I had no power," Toshinori said, "before my teacher gave it to me." He pressed the light into Izuku's hands, and even as it grew in her son, Toshinori's light went out.

Inko awoke.

"The hero who received his power."

And it all fell into place. Inko felt a fire kindle in her chest. Even as she got up off the couch, the phone rang. She dashed to it.

"Kimeru-chan?"

Inko almost dropped the phone. "K-Kano-san?"

"The same." Her voice was rough and raspy as ever, though still quite friendly. "It's been a long while, kiddo. I heard your kid got accepted to U.A.?"

"Y-yeah," Inko said. "I hate to be rude, but why are you calling?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" Kano said some choice words for the record company. "Your name's all over social media, after some kid on a hero-blog got word that your one little ditty inspired All Might; kids share everything online these days. With shit going sideways the last couple months, I guess everybody wanted to feel a little more secure, so downloads of the song have been selling like crazy. Hell, Inko, we had to _make_ a downloadable format for it! It's currently at… three million plus downloads. And with royalties…"

"What are you saying?"

It sounded like Kano was giving her head a shake. "First off, you've got a few yen that you're making off these downloads; I'd like to deliver it in person, if that's alright. Second… uh, maybe not a good idea."

"What?" Inko thought she might know before Kano even said it.

"Are you a poet through to the core now, or do you still sing?"

"Yes!" Inko surprised herself with the speed—and force—of that answer.

"Wow." Kano sounded wrong-footed. "Okay, let me put this plainly then. Do you want to try picking up your career where it left off?"

Inko thought about her son, and this new life she'd been building for herself. She thought about her accounting job, the hefty sum she'd squirreled away for Izuku's education—now moot, as U.A. gave full scholarships to every student who passed its entrance exams—and her own general savings.

"I can do a concert in six weeks, if you can line up the venue."

(that evening)

 _Come._ It was all the encouragement Toshinori needed; the past week had been as lonely as it was horrible. He'd hidden it well, he thought, until Young Uraraka gave him a concerned look after class on Thursday.

He came as close as he could to running the whole way, his briefcase only a slight hindrance. Too slowly—and somehow too quickly—he was outside her door. And the need to have this whole thing resolved, for better or worse, vanished. Could he, could he really handle Inko cutting him out of her life?

As he stood, undecided, the latch slid, the door clicked, and opened. All he could see of Inko was a bit of her face, and one very surprised green eye.

He couldn't speak. He couldn't remember how.

"Come in." She held the door open. He took it, gave her a questioning look. She wouldn't meet his eye. She turned down the hall, and he followed.

There was a new stool in the sitting area. He made to sit on it, but she shook her head. "Sit on the couch." He realized she was trembling.

"In—"

"Y-you said enough before," she said. "It's my turn." He sat on the couch, trying to keep his own hands from shaking. "Close your eyes." Baffled, he did so. He heard a couple of clicks, a small hollow _thump_ , a stifled curse, the sliding of fabric against fabric.

"I t-tried to tell you that night," Inko said from the direction of the stool, "but I realized I didn't know how. This was the only way I could think of."

Toshinori heard her take a few deep, trembling breaths. Silence. The sounds of daily life from outside.

And then the first sharp notes as Inko plucked at the strings of a violin.

" _Night is close 'round us,_

 _The day now is done._

 _Beasts the light kept away_

 _Draw near, now we must run._

 _As fear grips our hearts,_

 _Remember the sun."_

Toshinori had been at a bookstore the day he first heard that song, playing as background music while shoppers milled about. His eyes had alighted on a copy of _Heroes Through the Ages,_ and something clicked together in him, his frustration and worry meeting with his desire to _do_ something for this country and the people who had not earned the hardships the selfish and powerful heaped upon them. In an instant, he saw All Might, clearer than anything he'd ever known.

" _As we flee in terror,_

 _The weak and sick fall behind._

 _Our grandparents and children_

 _Left for monsters to find._

 _In the dark, on the run_

 _Please… remember the sun."_

Toshinori was crying. He made no attempt to hide it, only to stifle the noise so his crying wouldn't intrude on this wonder of such poignant sadness. If silk could speak, surely it would sound like this.

" _In greed they tear at us,_

 _Leaving no flesh on our bones._

 _Even those they will break,_

 _For the marrow, with stones._

 _Broken, battered, undone_

 _Can we still remember the sun?"_

Even as she uttered the last word, Inko's voice changed. Where before it had been delicate, so fragile a wisp of breeze could break it, with that word it began to swell and grow. The plinking at the strings, like drops of ice hitting cold water, ceased, and the bow raked across them, slow and deep and fierce, rising and widening until Toshinori knew nothing but that sound, billowing and crackling like a thunderhead.

" _All they took was soft flesh,_

 _Leaving only hard steel._

 _The weakness they tore at_

 _We now hardly feel._

 _Though the monsters hunt us,_

 _Still we remember the sun."_

What he had seen, what he had heard, Toshinori knew, was Inko; she hadn't lied about herself. But he realized, in this music, a deeper part of her worked, hidden, maybe even stronger than he had been in his prime. Yet it felt familiar, in a way his memories couldn't convey.

" _The day will not come,_

 _The sun will not rise,_

 _If we do not turn the world,_

 _If we don't open our eyes._

 _Gather fire in your bellies,_

 _And become the new sun."_

And here it was. Toshinori heard his whole life laid out before him in verse. He had risen in darkness, and beaten back the night. Now his strength was gone, but he had done what he needed to; he had passed on this blazing coal to a new bearer. This song… how had Inko known him before he'd even known himself? He was smiling, even as the tears kept trickling down his face.

" _The dawn now is on us,_

 _The night flees away._

 _Crushed now before us,_

' _Til the end of this day._

 _Rejoice now in sunshine,_

 _In light warm and kind._

 _This could ne'er have been done_

 _Had we not remembered the sun."_

The broad, powerful sweeps of the violin softened and dwindled, returning to the delicate plucking that had started this masterpiece. But now, the night had been chased away; Toshinori might have been napping in a field of daisies and violets on a warm summer morning.

Toshinori opened his eyes after the final note had faded away. Had Inko's apartment always been so warm?

Inko was looking at him, quiet and expectant. Even nervous. Toshinori wiped his face, and blew his nose. "I didn't know anything about anything." He managed to meet her eyes. "You're stronger than I ever was, Inko, if you can forgive me for keeping One For All and Izuku a secret from you for so long."

Inko adjusted a string on her violin. "I don't know if I have, just yet." She ran a hand through her hair. "But I love you, and I know, even though he's not yours, that you love him as much as I do."

Toshinori's heart clenched. "How do you—"

"—know?" She smiled, and the tears started coming. "Because you called him 'Izuku'." She sniffed. "There's something else." She packed away the violin, set it on the table, and sat beside Toshinori. "My songs are getting popular again."

Toshinori smiled. "That's—"

She held up a hand, and even though she was clearly trying, she couldn't keep the grin from spreading across her face. "And my old agent called. She thinks I'm popular enough again that I could re-start my career." She waited just an instant, either out of anxiety—which Toshinori suspected—or for dramatic effect. "And I said yes! I could have a concert as early as the end of next month!"

She laughed at the look of surprised delight Toshinori was sure was flashing across his face. He made no effort to hide it. He changed. "That's wonderful!" He all but shouted, even as he shrank back to normal.

Inko squealed. The next thing he knew, she was in his arms, kissing him all over, and he was kissing her. They paused after a moment, her on top of him, and he realized three things. She was dressed up; he'd been so scared he hadn't noticed, but she was wearing a kimono of red silk. Her kimono had slipped off her shoulder, giving him a new perspective on life. Her face was red, she was panting, and there was something hungry in her eyes he hadn't seen a moment ago.

He was suddenly extremely nervous. "D-do you—"

"Yes!"

NOTE: In case anyone was curious about the tune to "Remember the Sun"... I can't read or write music to save my life. I can say, however, that the tone is only a slight variation on the lullaby from the movie "The Prince of Egypt". Hope that helps, and you enjoyed it despite my tremendous musical shortcomings.


	11. 11 Long-Awaited

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: Admiral Clearwater, Noble graysin, Tantio, and Wolf That Hunts The Moon.

I'm sorry this is going up a day late; life and shot wheel-bearings happened, which could've been a lot worse. Hope this doesn't disappoint. Enjoy!

11\. Long-Awaited

"Guys!" Kirishima ran into the common area, dragging Bakugou behind him. Ochako—along with everyone else—looked up; she wished she hadn't, as Bakugou had what looked suspiciously like a hickey and bite marks on his neck. His face was red, and they both looked thoroughly dishevelled.

"What is it?" Iida said. "We are all studying quietly for exams! I—" Iida had the most hilarious surprised look on his face Ochako had ever seen. "Are you two dating!" Dead silence. Iida turned to the rest of the group. "Sorry! We do not need a huge surprise just before exams! It will disrupt everyone's concentration!"

"Iida-chan," Tsu-chan said as she turned back to her Math textbook, "you were literally the only person in our class who didn't know."

"We're dating too," Kyoka said from the corner, raising the hand holding Yao-Momo's.

"Kyoka!" Yao-Momo flushed. Iida looked like he'd turned into a very surprised gargoyle.

"I'm just getting all the surprises out of the way now," Kyoka said. "It's better this way, right, Iida?" Iida didn't move. Or breathe. "See? He's cool with it."

"Iida!" Ochako saw her grin mirrored on everyone—except Iida's—face as Hatsume came through the front door. She was holding her—phone?—in one hand, and what looked suspiciously like a baby basket in the other.

"I was having trouble with her last night, but after playing with your drive shaft—" she waited for the laughter and Iida's exclamations to die down, "—I had an epiphany." She turned to everyone gathered around studying. Or staring shamelessly. "Want to see the beautiful baby we made?"

No one except perhaps Iida was going to turn _that_ offer down. The baby in question was a streamlined version of his present leg armour, with—according to Hatsume—coolant injection ports, to help lengthen the amount of time he could spend using Recipro, and reduce stalling. Iida was silent through the whole explanation.

Hatsume looked expectantly at him. "Well, Iida, what do you think of our baby?"

He looked away. "It's—"

" _She."_

" _She's_ … adequate."

Hatsume looked like he'd thrown a bag of mechanical puppies into a woodchipper. "Adequate!" She dropped her phone(?). "We spend months on end conceiving this baby," Ashido elbowed Kaminari and he stopped snickering, "I had to fight with the support company for _weeks_ to get their OK on this, I was in labour for two hundred hours bringing her into the world, and all you, Iida Tenya, father of my baby, can say is that she's _adequate!"_ She picked up her—Ochako gave up—phone and pushed it in Iida's surprised face. "I was going to invite you to this concert to celebrate, but I guess you'd think it was just _adequate_." She turned on her heel to go.

"Wait," Ochako said. Hatsume turned around. "What concert?"

"Oh." Hatsume held up her phone. "Remember that song we all listened to a few months ago? The one All Might really liked?"

"Dammit!" Bakugou shouted, making everyone jump. "That was _our_ news!"

"Her baby-daddy just insulted their baby," Tsu-chan said. "Let her have this."

"Anyway," Hatsume said, "I posted the song, and it got about six million likes and shares."

"Wait a minute." Deku looked at his phone. " _I_ shared that."

"Midoriya shared something All Might likes! Raise your hand, whoever's surprised," Shinso said from the back. No one raised their hands.

"Yeah, it's kind of a phenomenon," Kaminari said. "I think we've all liked or shared it or whatever at some point."

"Anyway," Hatsume scrolled on her phone, and turned the screen so everyone could see, "Apparently downloads of the song have been through the roof, and the singer and her company took notice, because she's having a concert next month in downtown Tokyo." Hatsume looked around. "Why? Did you all want to go?"

"Yes!"

The intercom crackled to life as everyone started talking. "Midoriya Izuku," the voice said. Everyone looked at Deku. "Please report to the teachers' lounge." Bakugou scoffed. No one paid any attention.

"I guess I need to go," Deku said. He started packing up his study materials. "I'll be back." They watched him leave. Kaminari broke the silence.

"Did he have a funny look on his face, or was I imagining things?"

(Five-ish minutes later)

Inko was on her tenth lap around the lounge when the door opened. Her anxiety spiked, and then dropped when she saw Toshinori.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, setting his briefcase on an empty chair. "The staff meeting ran a bit later than expected."

"It's fine," Inko said, her heart rate starting to pick up. "He isn't here yet." She looked out the window. "Oh, it's all so much! D-do you think he'll be able to handle it?"

She saw Toshinori's reflection come up behind her, his hands settling on her shoulders. "Of course. He's your son, isn't he? He can bear far heavier burdens than this." He led her over to the couch. "Shall I put on some tea?"

Inko nodded. As she heard him taking down some cups she said, "Same time as usual?"

"A-actually, I have a date with a pop idol after this, so I might be a bit later." They both chuckled, and started talking of smaller things.

Inko was almost relaxed when a knock at the door sent her pulse skyrocketing.

"Come in," Toshinori called. The door opened, and there he was.

"Mom?" It'd been over a month since the last time she'd seen him. Izuku had noticeably filled out, but his face reminded her of the surprised little boy she'd never quite _not_ see him as.

"Would you like some tea?" Toshinori said. Izuku looked over at him. "Please, Izuku, sit. We have a few things to talk about."

After a moment of looking between them, Izuku sat. The silence was a bit awkward until Toshinori came and poured the tea.

"Are you Kimeru-chan?" It was a good thing Toshinori had finished pouring, because he almost dropped the pot.

"Y-yes," Inko said, less surprised than she thought she ought to be. Then she remembered why. "You found a recording and were a bit surprised to hear your mother, right?"

Izuku nodded, a bit hesitantly. Toshinori howled with laughter. "It was right after I told you all about that song, right?"

"Yeah," Izuku said. "It was… surreal is the best word." He looked to Inko. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Inko shrugged. "I thought it was behind me. My parents were smart and squirreled away my royalties in savings, and I had that accounting job, so we never wanted for anything, and your father was kind, but never really showed an interest in my past or anything closely related to it, so it didn't come up. And… it hurt, not being able to sing anymore, so I didn't really feel like talking about it. I thought I could forget, sort of."

Izuku nodded. "I found a bunch of your poems and song lyrics online. They're… they're amazing. And you were popular. So… why did…"

"Why did I quit?" Inko waved a hand. "Because my anxiety used to be much worse."

"Huh?" Toshinori and Izuku said at the same time.

Inko smiled. _You have no idea, Toshinori, how much I fretted before I sang to you._ "During my career, I was terrified of performance. At all my concerts and performances, I was behind a curtain the whole time because I physically could not play knowing people were looking at me. Even with the curtain, I had to be highly motivated in order to play." Inko looked at her tea. "With all the crime and injustice throughout Japan in those days, I was motivated. I could feel everyone crying out, even those who kept silent. And I learned to spin their wills together into a strength that could, just barely, overcome my anxiety. Why did I quit?" She looked at Toshinori. "Because people don't cry out against injustice when there is no injustice to cry out about. As you rose to power, I felt those wills that had fuelled me weakening, and I could no longer overcome my anxiety. I kept on with poetry, mostly, and a bit of songwriting. But now…" she felt something wild stir in her, "the Symbol of Peace has fallen, and society is afraid of what is to come. So now, with my anxiety weaker and the need for hope growing, I think I might be able to perform again."

"Is that why you're putting on a concert in a few weeks?" Izuku asked. Toshinori squawked, and Inko almost laughed. Had she forgotten to tell him the company had set a date?

"Yes." Inko said. "It is past time." She looked at Toshinori, who nodded. "And there is something else that I… that _we_ need to tell you, Izuku." She reached out a hand, which Toshinori took. "Toshinori and I have been together since about a month after U.A. started up the dormitories. And we…"

"We love each other very much," Toshinori said, putting his other hand over Inko's. "We wanted to make sure of it before we told you."

Izuku froze for a moment, as if he couldn't understand what he'd just heard. Inko pulled Toshinori down as Izuku's eyes blasted water like a pair of fire-hoses. It went on for a good long while, and Inko was glad she hadn't worn her nicest clothes.

Eventually—when there was about an inch of water on the floor and everyone was thoroughly soaked—the flow ebbed, finally stopped, and Inko and Toshinori straightened. Izuku was wiping at his eyes, but there was an enormous grin on his face. It flickered for a moment.

"Wait, so—One For All—you're okay with it? With how I—we—kept it secret?"

Inko sighed. "Izuku, you remember the sludge villain? How you rushed in without thinking because your friend was in danger?" Izuku cautiously nodded. "I was terrified when I heard about it. If Toshinori had been even a moment later…" she gave herself a shake. "You were determined to be a hero, no matter the obstacle, even if it meant being Quirkless." She looked at her lap, back at her son. "Your control of your Quirk, from Toshinori's reports, is getting better every day, and every day your body's getting stronger so that, some day soon, you will throw your hardest kick and not injure yourself. If you or Toshinori had told me everything about One For All at the start, I might've said no. But you didn't, and even if you both lied to me by omission, even if I don't like it—and I don't—I understand why you did it, and there's nothing I can do about it now. But that isn't why the three of us are here in this room and Toshinori and I haven't broken up."

The look on Izuku's face as he spoke was tremulous. "S-so why?"

Then Inko smiled, and didn't try to hide the tears. "Because if anyone loves you as much as I do, he does."

"Want your tea now?" Toshinori asked Izuku, looking a bit uncomfortable. "You probably need some fluids after that."

"Yes," Izuku said, taking a gulp, "thank you." Inko found it hard to keep from smiling herself; Izuku was already slipping back to giddy. "So, wait," he looked at Toshinori, "your name is Toshinori?"

Toshinori nodded. "Toshinori Yagi. In public or in class I would appreciate it if you kept calling me All Might, but in private you may call me that or Toshinori or…" his voice trailed off, and Inko saw his face redden before he covered it with a hand. A light went on in Inko's head.

"If you want him to call you 'dad', I'm sure he will when he's ready." She winked at Izuku, who had gone redder. "Anyway," Inko said, "I'm allowed to invite up to thirty VIPs to my concert, so if you and any of your friends can make it, you're welcome to."

"Yeah," Izuku said. They talked for a while after that; the whole time Izuku had a huge grin plastered on his face, and he kept darting looks between the two of them. Inko was pretty sure he couldn't quite believe this was actually happening. He didn't cry again, but his eyes were quite shiny the whole time. Inko shared a glance with Toshinori, and felt a warm glow in her heart.


	12. 12 The (Laughs) Calm Before the Concert

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: Bluejack83, Calovan, Conceptual, , Ryuketsu no Hana, caboose97 and xXkapow1227Xx.

I'm tentatively thinking there are two chapters after this one (the concert itself is lengthy, though not, I hope, in a bad way), since I've got a lot of ground to cover, and I'm about to enter my second round of mid-terms. Hope you guys like this.

12\. The *Laughs* Calm Before the Concert

"Guys! Guys!" Ochako looked up. Deku was positively vibrating with excitement.

"Quiet, scum!" Bakugou shouted from beside Kirishima, who Ochako was sure was holding his hand in a crushing, manly grip. "We're studying!"

Deku hardly heard him. He was literally bouncing from foot to foot. Ochako couldn't remember a time he'd come so close to ignoring Bakugou.

"Midoriya, why are you so excited?" Iida said. "Bakugou's rude, but he's right, we _are_ studying, and need a peaceful environment in which to concentrate."

"Sorry!" Deku said, not quieting in the slightest. "But I—A—m—concert!" He was red in the face, he was having so much trouble speaking.

Tsu-chan swiped her tongue across his face. When she finished, he looked extremely revolted. "That usually works," Tsu-chan said. "Now, three deep breaths, and try to say one thing at a time."

Deku only managed one breath. "Concert!"

"What about it?" Kaminari said.

Deku took a couple breaths. "My mom has a bunch of tickets, so I-I'm inviting everyone."

There was a pregnant silence, which almost everyone broke when they exploded into cheers. They looked about to hoist Deku on their shoulders when Todoroki turned to Ochako and Tsu-chan (he'd gotten up, but wasn't outwardly ecstatic). "Why aren't you guys excited?" The rest of the class—except Bakugou, who hadn't gotten up—quieted.

"Better question," Shinso called from the kitchen, where he'd been helping Sato with supper, "why does Midoriya's mom have enough tickets for all of us?"

"Oh!" Ochako's shout of surprise managed to drown out Deku's stammering. Everyone turned to her.

"W-well," she said in spite of the discomfiting stares, "We—I—overheard you recognize your mother's voice when we first listened to that recording, Deku. So when we had that day off last month, and the girls went to the zoo, we bumped into your mother, and I asked, and she confirmed it."

Another silence. "So," Ashido said, twiddling her fingers, "Midoriya's mother is Kimeru-chan?" Ochako nodded. Ashido looked to Deku, who also nodded. "Midoriya's mom is an idol!" The cheering recommenced.

Studying was temporarily forgotten, unless you counted Bakugou, who seemed set on ignoring everything around him, even as his expression grew more and more stormy.

At one point, Ochako found herself standing beside Tsu-chan. "So why'd you spill the beans on Deku's mother?"

"I didn't do it on purpose," Ochako said, raising her hands. She lowered her voice. "But Deku was excited when he came in, right?" Tsu-chan nodded. "What if he was excited about that thing we _all_ found out at the zoo? I might've kept him from blowing the lid on that."

Tsu-chan touched a contemplative finger to her lips. "It's more luck than cleverness, Ochako-chan. But you do have a point. Still, I doubt he can hold that in for long. Maybe if you tell him you know, he can talk about it with someone."

Ochako felt her pulse twitch upward ever so slightly. "W-why don't you tell him?" Tsu-chan gave her as sardonic a look as her froggy eyes could manage. Ochako felt her face heat up. "Oh."

She was marvelling at Tsu-chan's shrewdness when Deku came over. He still had a grin on his face, but seemed to have calmed down a bit. Ochako's pulse jumped again. "I thought everyone would be excited, but I didn't think they'd throw a party."

"They basically got free passes to a concert we're all looking forward to," Tsu-chan said, "so of course they're happy." Tsu-chan stretched. "Although parties aren't really my thing. I think I'll study a bit in my room and go to sleep. Good night." And then she was gone.

"Um, there's something else," Deku said. Ochako thought she could fry an egg on her face. "About my mom." Six eggs.

"And—uh," Ochako lowered her voice, "All Might?" Deku looked more than a little surprised. Ochako's pulse dropped, though her face didn't cool. "They were on a date when we met her at the zoo. All the girls know, but no one's going to say anything."

"Oh." Deku looked thoughtful a moment. "I almost spilled it all earlier, so I'm kind of glad you interrupted me."

"N-no problem," Ochako said. She remembered what Tsu-chan had told her. "Do you, uh, wanna go outside and talk about it?"

Deku rubbed his chin. "Maybe the roof? I don't think we should risk anyone listening in, even on school grounds."

Deku's mention of the roof nearly popped Ochako's coronary artery, but she managed to recover enough to nod.

The air was crisp outside, the sun just setting, the sky streaked with clouds. The air, at least, cooled Ochako off a bit. "L-lovely evening, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Deku said. They walked to the railing at the edge of the boys' tower and looked out over the city. There was something picturesque about it from this distance, on the U.A. hill on the roof of the dormitory. Ochako felt herself relax a bit.

"So, you're happy about this," she said, struggling less for words than she'd thought she might, "but how are you…" she lowered her voice, despite the twenty-plus metres separating them from the ground, "I'd be overwhelmed if I found out All Might was dating my _aunt_ , let alone my mom!"

Deku thought a moment. "Well… I'm overwhelmed in a good way, I guess." He turned and looked up at the sky, just starting to darken. "All Might was a huge part of my life from before I even met him." He chuckled. "You've seen my room, you know what I mean. And at U.A., he's an actual person, not a distant figure I only see on TV and social media. And he's helped me so much, and I've learned a lot from him. He's… sort of always been a presence in my life."

Ochako thought she might be about to tread into dangerous waters. "I-if this goes well, with him and your mom, they might get… you know…"

"…Married?" It calmed Ochako down a bit to see Deku redden. "That was the first thought in my head when they told me."

Ochako chuckled. "Did you cry?"

"They'll probably be drying out the teachers' lounge for a week or more," Deku said, laughing himself.

"So, All Might would pretty much be your dad, wouldn't he?" Ochako realized too late what she was saying.

"He pretty much already…" Deku realized it then, too. "Oh… it's fine, Uraraka-san. My dad hasn't been much a part of my life since I was really little, so it's been a long time since I felt like I had one."

"Sorry," Ochako said, mentally face-palming, "I didn't mean—that's none of my business."

"No, no," Deku said, raising his hands, "like I said, it's fine, it's fine. And… it's not all about All Might." He looked down, then back up at the sky.

"Oh?"

"It's about Mom, too." He smiled, bigger even than he had down in the common area. "Today was the first day I'd seen her in a while, but we talk on the phone at least once a week. And… from around the time she and All Might started dating, she's sounded so happy, and she's mentioned conversations and arguments she's had with friends, and I'm sure most of them have been with him." He looked back at Ochako. "I'm really happy about all of this, Uraraka. For my own sake, and for her. I've been the one big thing in her life for a long time, and… it's nice to hear her excited about something she loves besides me, you know?"

Ochako felt something in her chest tighten. "Deku, I… huh? Why am I…?" Why were tears rolling down her face?

"Uraraka!" Deku's grin vanished. "Oh god, what have I done! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm—"

"It's okay, I think, Deku," Ochako said, wiping at her eyes. She felt Deku press something soft into her hand. A handkerchief? She took it. "That was just really sweet and touching."

"Oh, I wasn't trying to—"

"Deku," Ochako said, steeling herself, "can you take any more big news today?"

(Four Weeks Later)

"So the big day's drawing near, huh?" Mitsuki said. To change things up, they'd gone for a walk instead of sitting at their usual restaurant.

"Two weeks away," Inko said. The words made her heart jump. "And of the three of us, I don't know who's the most excited."

"But I can guess who's the most anxious," Mitsuki said as they turned the corner. "Oh, by the way, Katsuki's finally sleeping properly again."

"Oh?" Inko smiled. "I guess he finally outgrew his lullaby."

Mitsuki snorted. "Not likely. I sent him a recording is all. Puts him out in two minutes flat. I've never heard of one working so fast."

Inko shrugged. "It was a weird experiment in death metal; I'm glad it's helped someone."

"Well either way, it's saved all three of us a lot of sleepless nights." She glanced at Inko. "Will you be including it on your playlist?"

"Oh, n-no," Inko said. "That was a private commission. It's yours, as far as I'm concerned."

"You can if you want," Mitsuki said. "If you want my permission, you have it."

"It'll be okay," Inko said as they turned into the park, "I've already got a single lined up the public hasn't heard yet."

"Oh?" Mitsuki grinned. "Starting big, are we?"

"I-it's a bit of a gamble, after all," Inko said, taking a seat on a bench by the pond, "I mean, I don't know if anyone's going to like it, so it could make the whole show flop, and then it's probably all over."

"Inko," Mitsuki said, joining her, "it's fine. If you re-start your career, great. And if you don't, you still have incredible musical talent, and two men in your life who love you. Besides, you could still do small events, even if this concert doesn't go so well. What's important is the singing, right?"

Inko gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"So," Mitsuki said, "any other big news recently?"

"Well, All Might and I are doing well," Inko said, lowering her voice, "but you already knew that. Oh, Izuku has a girlfriend now!"  
"What!" Mitsuki said, almost falling off the bench. "Don't throw things at me like that! Dish, girl!"

(Fifteen Minutes Before Go-Time)

"All Might?" Toshinori looked up. An usher was coming down the aisle toward him. Her expression was urgent, but not fearful. The students seated around him looked up, too.

"Yes?"

"There's a matter requiring your attention." The usher leaned close. "Kimeru-chan asked for you."

Toshinori suspected this might happen. "I'll be right there." He turned to his class. "I'll be back soon. Until then, Young Iida, you and Young Yaoyorozu are in charge."

"Yes, sir!" Iida said, standing and snapping off a crisp bow.

"Don't get up," Miss Hatsume said from beside him. "I'm planning my next baby and want your input." She had her head together with Young Yaoyorozu, who after voicing an affirmative to Toshinori went back to planning. Iida reddened and sat. As he was walking past them, Toshinori saw Young Uraraka and Izuku sitting together, talking as quietly as one could in a crowded stadium. They both looked a shade nervous.

As Toshinori followed the young usher, he reflected on the choice of venue. U.A. stadium made a fantastic choice for a concert; the acoustics were superb, security was by default tight, the seating capacity was tremendous—another reason Inko had been able to invite thirty VIPs—and most of the field was open, so people could get up and dance if they felt so inclined. He smiled; much of his class would probably end up down on that turf before the night was too old.

And then there was the fact that U.A. was hosting this event. The stadium had been provided largely free of charge, and the school was taking only a modest share of the proceeds, a fact known to few, a rumour known to all. Toshinori reflected that Nezu was a genius at PR.

The usher left Toshinori at the door to the dressing room and hurried off. He could hear voices inside, one of which he fondly recognized. He knocked.

A woman in late middle-age with square glasses and her hair tied back in a braid opened it. "Ah, you're here," she said like she was speaking to an old friend. She added in an undertone, "She's not as bad as when she was a kid, but Kimeru-chan's still acting like a cow in a slaughterhouse, and my old methods aren't working. She asked for you, so maybe you can help."

Toshinori nodded. "Thank you." She opened the door and let him in. Inko, in a gorgeous flowing black dress with cherry petals embroidered all over it, her hair combed with strings of glittering stones running through it, pink pearls about her neck, was trembling so badly the cup of water on her table was shaking.

"I'm here," Toshinori said. Inko started and turned her head. "You look beautiful."

"Oh, thank you." She turned to her agent. "Can we please have some privacy, Miss Kano?"

Kano bowed. "Go time in ten minutes, Kimeru-chan." She left.

"I d-don't think I can do this," Inko said, clutching the edge of the table.

Toshinori approached her, gently set his hands on her shoulders. She started at his touch. "I have complete confidence in you."

"That makes one of us," Inko half-smiled.

 _Should I get her mind off what's coming? Or, Oh!_ He struck his palm with his opposite hand, _maybe just take her mind off the anxiety!_ "Miss Kano seems quite capable."

Inko nodded. "She was my agent before, too. Back then, lots of people wanted to sway me, because of my influence and my steadfast reputation; if they had me, they had the trust of the people. Everyone knew I was with Shikoku Records, but some… _unpleasant_ people found out who my exact agent was. Since the identities of idols and their families are kept confidential, they tried to bribe her or, failing that, threaten her. Her left eye is a glass eye because she refused, and one of them tried to make good on his threat. He didn't know her Quirk can paralyze anyone she touches."

Toshinori turned to the door. "That could've gone a lot worse."

Inko nodded. "When some of her colleagues found her, she'd kicked him in the ribs so many times he couldn't breathe on his own for two years."

Toshinori looked back at Inko, eyes wide. He laughed. "I'll have to thank her for protecting you."

Inko managed a tremulous smile. "I don't have much time, and I'm not ready." She put a hand over her heart. "I'm not in the mind I used to have before I performed."

Toshinori shrugged. "You are not the person you were then, Inko." A thought occurred to him. "What did it feel like, when you were composing, or writing songs, or performing?"

Inko made to run a hand through her hair, then put it down. "When I wrote, it felt—feels—like an opening of my mind, a receiving, like I was listening as the world poured liquid wisdom into me, and I let it flow from mind to pen. When I composed, it was a struggle to try and hold it all together, like the power of sound and meaning together was so enormous it would break me if I lost control or concentration. When I performed," did she notice how her smile grew, the trembling ceased, and a fire lit in her eyes as she spoke? "it was like spinning the wills of all the people of Japan into one voice, the mute and the muzzled given words that cut and music that moved. When I performed, I was the voice of Japan." When had she stood up?

Toshinori smiled, surprised despite his fulfilled hope. "I felt as you do when you write, when my predecessor passed One For All on to me. I felt as you do when you compose, when I trained and strove to master this Quirk that can break the bodies of unworthy vessels." He changed. "And I felt as you do when you perform, when I finally rose to bring down the evil in this country, that I was the fist of the millions of people struggling to live peaceful lives crying out 'Enough! We will have no more of this!'"

Toshinori reverted, a half-sheepish smile on his face. "How is your anxiety now?"

Inko's eyes and smile were still fiery as she stepped forward, taking him by the shoulders. Her kiss started fiery, and finished gentle and sweet as cream. Her whisper was softer than her velvet dress. "I love you."

Toshinori was pretty sure his heart skipped six beats. "I—I love you too." He relaxed. "Now go be the voice of Japan." He gestured to the door.

"I… need to wait until Miss Kano knocks," Inko said, twirling a finger in a lock of hair not strung with crystal.

"Oh," Toshinori ran a hand through his own hair, "okay." He'd rarely felt so awkward, but the smile Inko gave him was encouraging.

The knock came a short while later. "Watch from back stage," Inko turned to him. Her smile was more radiant than Toshinori had ever seen. He could only nod as he followed her and Miss Kano. He was _not_ going to miss this.


	13. 13 Symbols of Peace

Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: AnimeDrummer, Dan Nivanny, DhanaRagnarok, FrancisTTM, JMA Blazer, MrDyzio, WinterValentine, buubaa, and kasiemheim.

I'm sorry I didn't make any reference to it earlier, but this is the final chapter of Allmom AU; in my defence, I literally did not know it was the final chapter until tonight. If you'd like, leave a review or PM after you've read, and I'll get back to you, I promise (though maybe not for a day or two,life's pretty busy right now).

For anyone who's interested, I'm considering doing a Q&A or a little commentary on some of my thoughts regarding this and putting it up on my tumblr (same name as my ff account). Leave me a PM if you have a question you desperately want answered.

Last bit of housekeeping: there's a song partway through. If you've heard Susan Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream", it sounds very much like that.

I would like to thank everyone who's favourited and/or followed this, and anyone who recommended it to someone else, and everyone who left a review. I hope you guys enjoy this, and have enjoyed reading the story so far; I know I loved writing it.

13\. Symbols of Peace

Inko was hammered by déjà vu as she followed Miss Kano backstage. She was fourteen again, at another concert commemorating a new album. Her heart thumped in her chest. She glanced over her shoulder.

Toshinori was there, breathing just a bit laboured. This heartbeat wasn't one of doubt, of feeling she wasn't good enough to stand before thousands—millions, since this concert would be broadcast live—thanks to his gentle support, the secret fire he'd shown so few. _His_ power, _All Might's_ power, felt just like hers? Was this what he'd given Izuku, this inspiration that could carry a country on its shoulders?

This heartbeat wasn't one of doubt. No. This was her heartbeat when she had musical ass to kick.

Miss Kano stopped and stood aside with a small bow, a broad grin on her thin, hard face. Inko felt the familiar weight of violin in one hand, every string meticulously tuned, bow in the other, thoroughly rosined, microphone ready, hooked into her neckline. She didn't look, but she felt Toshinori behind her, a pillar of support for her now as he'd supported Japan for so long.

Up the stairs. Behind the curtain, to her seat behind its own curtain, which she'd not so much requested but _needed_. The audience—she'd heard their constant rumble as she'd prepped—picking up in anticipation. The screen would read "Ladies and gentlemen, after twenty-five long years, Shikoku Records is proud to present, live from the U.A. Stadium, Kimeru-chan!"

She sat. She knew the screen had started playing its message when the audience quieted. The lights clacked on. And Inko was struck by a magnificent idea that hadn't occurred to her for twenty-five years. She'd never dared try it; even as the voice of Japan, she'd never had the courage. One breath, one harsh, raw breath, and it was there, trembling in her chest like a tiger desperate to pounce.

She rose.

The gasp from the audience, the surprise of millions. She stepped out from behind the curtain as if she always had. The sambar were running, and the tiger sprang.

Without a word, Inko put rest to cheek, bow to string, and played.

(A Couple Minutes Earlier)

Ochako had been to a few concerts in middle school. Some good, some bad, some terrible, some great. She'd never been to one like _this._

"This is incredible," Deku whispered beside her.

Ochako nodded, only slightly warm under her collar. "Yeah." That this was a date made it even more special. But now, everything out in the open, she felt so much more relaxed. Deku was looking extremely handsome in a plain sort of way in his suit, and the red tie brought out his eyes. He'd liked her own plum-velvet suit, too, and his stammering was minimal. "We competed in front of an audience like this too, didn't we?"

"Yeah." Deku looked slightly nervous. "But when we competed, there were eighty-plus students the audience was watching. Mom's all alone down there."

"Uh, Deku?"

He turned to her. "Yeah?"

She put her hand over his. "She's not alone. Neither are you, or me. We've all got so many people cheering us on, and—"

"Shhh!" Kyoka leaned down from behind them. She looked like she was at a rock concert. "It's starting! And try not to talk or do any 'couple' things, okay? I wanna hear this without distractions!" Yao-momo's chiding nudge was ruined a bit by the fact she looked on the verge of giggles. Kyoka had an awful lot of kiss-marks on her face that looked suspiciously close to the colour Yao-momo was wearing.

Before Ochako could point out this hypocrisy, Bakugou turned around—he and Kirishima were in the row in front of them—and whisper-yelled, "Will you idiots shut up! I'm about to listen!"

Kyoka leaned forward. "I was walking by the boys' baths early this morning, and I _swear_ I heard him singing along flawlessly to one of your mom's songs, Midoriya."

Ochako covered her mouth. The image was worth a penthouse suite.

The house lights dimmed, the stage lights snapped on, and the audience quieted. Eerily so. Ochako was sure she could hear a pin drop on the far side of the stadium.

She certainly heard the click of shoes as the ripple of curtain marked Mrs. Midoriya's passage behind it. They stopped. According to Present Mic, Mrs. Midoriya had always performed behind a curtain. Did other musicians do that? Either way, the curtain was spectacle enough. It depicted—Deku confirmed that his mother had specifically requested this—the clash between All Might and the villain at Kamino Ward. The screens about the stadium zoomed in on it; the detail was breathtaking.

"This was named the 'All Our Thanks' concert commemorating him…" Deku muttered beside her.

The audience gasped as the click of shoes resumed. "Is she—" Kyoka hissed behind them as the curtain parted, and Mrs. Midoriya stood before an audience of thousands.

"She's beautiful," Deku said. She was. Ochako loved the cherry petals embroidered on her dress, and the glittering strings of stones in her hair caught the light, demanded attention. The screen zoomed in on her eyes…

Ochako couldn't put her finger on it, but suddenly the curtain with All Might's final battle on it made sense.

Without a word of explanation, Mrs. Midoriya started playing _Remember the Sun_. The recording they'd listened to months ago did _not_ do the song justice. The acoustics of this stadium were marvelous—how did they give one voice and one violin so much power? Ochako looked back at one point, and Kyoka was silently bawling her eyes out. Yao-momo beside her also looked deeply moved. Kirishima below them was also sobbing, and Bakugou… maybe a bug had flown into his eye or something? Deku was, somehow, the only person Ochako could see through her own tears who wasn't crying.

The song ended, to a standing ovation. Mrs. Midoriya bowed. The screen behind her read: "Nothing like a good cry, right folks? This next one should pick up the pace." The screen read "You Say Run", and the audience started moving as Mrs. Midoriya plucked at the strings of her violin. And… was she _whistling?_

Bakugou got up, pulling Kirishima with him. "Bakugou! Wh—"

"We need to move." Mrs. Midoriya made her violin shriek as she raked her bow across the strings. It was a perfect contrast, the delicate beauty and slow power of _Remember the Sun_ against the wild energy of this. Ochako got up, pulling Deku with her, and they and all the rest of Class 1-A danced on the stairs as people flooded the open space below.

Mrs. Midoriya played on. Ochako glanced at the playlist everyone had been handed at the door; _Idiot Kitsune_ was apparently one of those classy retorts Kimeru-chan had levelled at a less classy artist who'd tried to smear her; it was fun and bouncy. _Turtle and Dragon_ was a song about some maritime disaster from long before Ochako was born. _Blue's Journey_ was about a lonely ogre who traveled the world; it was sad, because he'd left his friend behind forever. _The New Satin Gown_ wasa critique of some of the luxuries the corrupt rich had indulged in when thousands struggled to get by; the anger Mrs. Midoriya's violin conveyed made an incredible duet with the oblivious happiness of her words and voice. There were others—lots of others—and Mrs. Midoriya never left the stage. Her dress swirled and rippled as she danced to her own music. There was a… an untitled new piece? And then an award presentation at the end.

And then, as Ochako checked her antique pocket-watch—her grandfather had collected them—and wondered where two and a half hours had gone, there was a pause.

"What's going on?" Kaminari said from a couple rows down.

"Apparently this is a song Mom hasn't published yet," Deku said. A light went on in his eyes. "She was talking about this. Not even Shikoku Records has heard this one, so we might be the first to have ever heard it played!"

"That's amazing!" Kyoka said, planting a foot on the back of Deku's seat. "Bring it on! Let's hear it!"

It was like Mrs. Midoriya heard her. She raised her hands for quiet. "Please rise". Her voice was quite gentle when she wasn't singing, but there was a command in it that Ochako didn't think anyone would ignore.

She took three steps back, turned around, and set down her bow and violin. Then returned to the front of the stage, and set her hands over her heart. When she began to sing, Ochako realized that she wouldn't hear the equal of this ever again.

" _In spring I set a fire in you,_

 _So bright and hot it lit the world._

 _The dawn light shone from in your heart,_

 _Voyage begun, your sails unfurled._

 _Symbol of Peace, thank you so much._

 _All Might, we know you are not gone."_

Deku was already crying. So was Ochako, and everybody she could see, for that matter. Mrs. Midoriya's voice… how could the woman who'd softly offered tea and cookies while they studied at Deku's sing so wonderfully the gods took notice?

" _The summer came, and up you rose._

 _Peerless knight who knew no bounds,_

 _Who fought so hard in noonday sun,_

 _Even now, your laugh resounds._

 _Symbol of Peace, you changed the world._

 _All Might, we loved your guiding hand."_

Ochako didn't need the big screens to see Inko turn to the curtain, and beckon, ever so gently, with one hand. The curtain stirred.

"What the—" Kyoka's curse was blocked out by Deku.

"Oh my god oh my god oh my god—"

All Might was on stage, tentative, but obedient to Mrs. Midoriya's summons.

" _Now autumn's here and you must rest._

 _The world knows what you have done._

 _What you have given to us all:_

 _You parted clouds, you brought the sun._

 _Symbol of Peace, your fire's not out._

 _All Might, it burns within us all."_

That last note carried for so long, Ochako wasn't sure when it ended. She'd never heard anything so overwhelming, the power and emotion of that one voice, its thrum in her chest from so far away.

And then the curtain rippled again. And a figure came out who Ochako had _not_ been expecting to see here, who's picture she'd only seen in school and recent history textbooks, but who made everyone in that stadium stand up straighter.

Behind her, Kyoka hissed, "Holy shit, is that—"

(On Stage)

 _The Empress._ Toshinori froze, then bowed as low as he could manage. He chanced a sidelong glance at Inko. She had bowed low to the Empress and her attendant carrying a small black case, but did she have just the hint of a mischievous smile? He'd known there was an award presentation after the show, but he'd never thought—

"Rise." They rose. Empress Sakura was seventy-five years old and perhaps seventy-five pounds sopping wet, yet there wasn't a grey hair on her head. There _was_ a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she met Toshinori's gaze. "You refused a National Honour Award from the Prime Minister a number of years ago, All Might," she said, covering her microphone. "I hope you will not refuse me today."

"N-no," Toshinori almost jumped out of his skin at the thought, "Of course not, Heavenly Sovereign! I-it is a great honour to—" she gently raised her hand, and he was struck dumb.

"Kimeru-chan," the Empress said, and Inko inclined her head, "since your career extends before that of All Might, _and_ I hear you originally inspired him to become the Symbol of Peace, I believe your award takes precedence." Inko did look taken aback at that. The Empress's attendant opened the case. There were two awards in it, identical to one another, and a diploma with each.

"In honour of a lengthy career of distinguished service to and advancement of the Japanese people and culture in times of great need, I, Empress Sakura, Heavenly Sovereign of Japan, award to Kimeru-chan, the Voice of Japan, the Order of the Rising Sun, Third Class." Inko flushed beet-red—Toshinori chuckled to himself—and bowed low, while the Empress hung the medal about her neck, and handed Inko her diploma. "Thank you." Inko looked like she might actually be beyond tears.

Then the Empress turned to All Might. "In honour of your lengthy career and the great personal risk and sacrifice therein, for ending a lengthy period of strife, and re-defining Japan for the last generation, I award, to All Might, the Symbol of Peace, the Order of the Rising Sun, Third Class." Toshinori pushed himself into muscle-form again and knelt. The Empress slid the medal over his neck, and handed him his diploma, even as he deflated. Then she raised her voice. "Show these heroes of Japan your respect, my people. They are a rare thing." And she bowed to the pair of them.

(After the Concert)

"So, to be clear," Inko said as she opened her dressing room door and held it for Toshinori, "you had no idea you were going to be receiving an award tonight?"

"None." He turned to her, and there was a grin on his face. "Did you know _you_ were going to be receiving an award tonight?"

Inko shook her head. "I'd heard that the Empress liked my poetry, but to receive a national _award_ from her…" She giggled. Then her arms were around Toshinori, and she pulled him down for a kiss. He twisted and stumbled, and she fell with him against the door. She looked up at him, into those incredible eyes. She locked the door. "I don't want any interruptions." She felt Toshinori's skin shiver.

"Miss Kano?"

Inko shrugged, reaching around to the zipper on the back of her dress. "I'm a grown woman. She'll try the door, I'll… _imply_ what's going on, and she'll stand guard down the hall."

"She's worth her weight in gold." Toshinori brushed a hand against Inko's now-bare shoulder.

"I agree." She unbuttoned his suit jacket and dress shirt, and pulled them back. The scar in Toshinori's side was horrible to look at, but not because it was ugly. Inko gently ran a hand over it, then leaned forward and pressed her lips to the crater in his skin.

"Toshinori?"

"Yes?" he sounded like he could barely speak.

"What was worth this?"

There was a quiet moment. She looked up. His expression was so loving and gentle she started crying. He kissed each eye.

"Everyone."


End file.
